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im
HARVARD
COLLEGE
LIBRARY
Preservation facsimile
printed on alkaline/buffered paper
and bound by
Acme Bookbinding
Charlestown, Massachusetts
2005
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The
Joseph
Buttinger
Collection
on
Vietnam
Harvard
College
Library
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CHINA
AMD
THE PEE SENT CBISIS
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PBIKTKD BY
SPOTDBWOODK AMD 00^ KSW-fllUKVi SqUAU
LOKDOX
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CHINA
AND
THE PBESENT OBISIS
WITH NOTES ON A VISIT TO
JAPAN AND KOREA
BY
JOSEPH WALTON, M.P.
WITH A MAP OF CHINA
LONDON
SAMPSON LOW, MABSTON & COMPANY
(LZMITBD)
9t Dmtftan'f t)on0e
FBTTEB LANE, FLEET STREET, E.G.
1900
[All right! referred]
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OS ^
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PREFACE
Thb eyes of the whole civilised world are now
tamed towards China, where it appears only too
certain that one of the most terrible tragedies which
history has ever recorded has just taken place.
I spent some eight months recently in travel
through Chinai Japan, and Korea, with the special
object of ascertaining from the best informed men
on the spot what the political and commercial
situation really was.
I visited most of the centres of political interest
and of commercial activity, and also journeyed over
6,000 miles in the interior of China. This is my
only justification for venturing to issue this book,
which is without literary pretensions. It simply
contains a brief account of my journey and some of
the information I gathered, which may possibly be
of interest in view of the present acute crisis in the
Far East. I have introduced on pp. 224-48 the
statement I made in Parliament on the 80th of
March last, which reviewed the situation as it then
appeared to me, and I have added a short chapter
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vi CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT OBISIS
dealing with subsequent eyents and the necessity for
the re-assertion of our rightful position alongside
other nations in the afEeurs of China. No one can
OTer-estimate the importance of the British Govem-
ment pursuing a firm and definite policy with
resolution and vigour at this juncture. A wise and
just settlement in South Africa is important ; but
I venture to say that it is of tenfold greater
importance to the commercial interests of the
British Empire that our Government should at the
end of hostilities in China insist in concert with
other Powers on the setting up of a stable and
enlightened Government, so that China may be
preserved for the Chinese and the whole Empire
remain open equally to the trade of all nations.
JOSEPH WALTON.
July 24, 1900.
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CONTENTS
CHAPTEB I
A VISIT TO NBWOHWANa
Wei-bai-Wei—Chefoo— Yoya^ to Newohwang— British and
Rnflgian railway termini — Newohwang— Trip up the
Bossian railway from Newchwang—Bossian hospitality—
Eipedition np the Bossian railway— Ta-shih-ohao—Inter-
national dispntee— Additional British and Bussian conces-
sions — Interview with the resident engineer — ^Newohwang
trade — Ohinese Imperial Oostoms rerenne — Tiffin with
Chinamen— Missions in Manohoria— Advantages of Man-
ohnria— Newohwang to Chef oo
CHAPTEB n
OHBFOO TO TIBNTSm
The Fei-ho and Takn Forts— Tong-kn— Evidence of British
trade— Tientsin— From Tientsin to Pekin—Pekin— Visit to
mission station— Interview with M. Kronpensky— Call on
Japanese Minister— The Tartar dty wall— City walls, Pekhi
—Forbidden City, Pekin— The Government of China-
Deposition of the Emperor— Pekin eunuchs — Interview with
Prince Ching— Interview with Li-Hnng-Chang— -Beligion—
Secret societies— Mr. Hillier 27
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viii CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
CHAPTEB m
BSrnSH TRiDB AND BBITISH NBaLBOT IN CHINA
PiM
BngUah Seittement, IHentsin— Trade of Tientsin— BussImi
intrigaes— Trip up Shan-hai-Kwan-Newohwang Bailway—
Ooal-mining in China— Fei-tai-ho— Baron Von Ketteler—
Sir Bobert Hari— Chin wang tao— Pei-tai-ho to Tong-Kn—
A Inokj choice 50
CHAPTEB IV
A VISIT TO WBI-HAI-WBI
An inddent of the Ohino-Japaneeewar- Wei-hai-Wei— A qnea-
tion for the naval anthoritiee— Chinese troops— The English
sphere— Hospitalit J afloat — ^Bailwaj oommimioation— Pos-
sibilities of trade— Transfer of Wei-hai-Wei to Germany . 64
CHAPTEB V
A VISIT TO POBT ABTHUB
Seisore by Bossia— Port Arthur— West Port lagoon— Stopped
outside the Bnssian forts— Bassian designs and British
inaction 75
CHAPTEB VI
AHBSIOAN AND JAPANBSB TBADB OOMPBTITION
China inland mission- Trade of Chefoo— My Chinese secretary
—Stranded at Chefoo— Visit to Eiao-Chan— Trade of Eiao-
Chan — Kiao-Chao to Shanghai — Shanghai — Bamsl^
bobbins— The inland waterways of China— Chinese bridges-
Cormorant fishing— Birds, game, and insects— Chinese river
life — Great sea wall— An ez-missionary at the wheel—
Tangtsze expedition— Silk filature works .... 84
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CONTENTS ix
OHAPTEB Vn
LOWBB BBAOHBS OF THB TAK0T8ZB
PAOI
ChinkiaDg— British fleet in 184»— Nankin— InterWew with
Tieerox lin-Eiin-Yi— Nankin pagoda— liing tombs— Bport
in the Tangtsae vallej—Eiangsi—EioEi&ng— Trade of Kin
Eiang— British bluejackets to the front ~ Reception by Chang
Ohlh Tang— Han Tang ironworks— Han Tang Arsenal-
Military college— Brick-tea factory- Chinaman dying on
roadway onoared for— Interview with the Taotai of Hankow
—Trade of Hankow— Ifissionaxy work— From Hankow to
lehang-Sha-sae—Bea of graves 106
CHAPTER Vm
THB UPPBB YAKOTBZB BXFBDITION
Tangtsae trackers— An nnsnitable craft — Chinese cooks-
Broken adrift— Porpoises— The Teh-tan Rapid— Chinese
servants— Ah Bam— Chin-chinning Joss— Water snpply—
Attitode of the Chinese— Oor mysterions vessel— Stoned by
the Chinese— Wrecks and wreckage on the Tangtsae—
Weather— Scenery— Monkeys— Lnkan gorge— Kwei-Chow—
Chinese coal— The Woshan gorge— Transhipping to steam-
launch 186
CHAPTER IX
THB VOTAQB UP THB YAKGTSZB — COflUnUed
Kwei-chow-fa — Chinese officials— Saeohaan— Absence of birds
ind animallife— Novel duck-rearing— Gold— Feng-tn-Cheng
—Arrival at Chong-Eing 151
CHAPTER X
A BBOOBD JOUBNBT IN THB INTBBIOB
The political and commercial situation in Ssechuan— British
Consul at Chung-Eing— How a Chinaman overreached him-
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CHINA AND TEE PBESENT GBISIS
piei
wlf— Unpanottialitj of Ohinamen — Sfn-Van, or New Bapid
—The Teh-Van Bapid— The qoidkest trip on record—
First passage down rapids and whirlpools by steam— lohang
to Hankow 159
CHAPTER XI
SHANQHAI TO HONG EONQ
Entrance to Hong Eong— Oity of Hong Eong— Admiral Seymour
— Eaa-Luig— ETacnation of Bam Chun- PnUio Oardens
-Happy Valley- Bailways— West Biver Expedition— Pi-
racy on the West Biyer— Stack on a sandbank— Wochan—
Character of the country— Nanning-fa— Scenery— Lepers —
Boat life on the West Biyer- NotcI method of shooting —
Pawnshops— Stranded again— Canton— Temple of 500
Genii— The Examination Hall— Trade of Canton— Boat-
women— Waterways— Dudkbreeding— At Hong Eong again
—St. Andrew's Day Ball— Visit to Eang-yu- Wei . 166
OHAPTEB Xn
FABEWBLL TO CHINA
French Indo-China — Saigon and Chdon— French Indo-Ohina
and the protectiye system— French actiyity and British in-
aotiyity— Climate of Saigon— Singapore— IWay Peninsula-
Visit to Selangor— Euala-Eubu^Adyantage of British rule
—Euala-Lumpor— Nationalisation of land and minerals—
Johore— Siam — Singapore to Colombo — Decadence of
British shipping 183
CHAPTER Xm
SINGAPOBB TO OOLOMBO
Penang— Island of Sumatra— German shipbuilding— Ceylon—
Peradeniya and its gardens— The museum— Christmas in
Ceylon— At a tea plantation— Tea factory— Hadgalla Bo-
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CONTENTS xi
PAai
tanioal gardens— Ooooa-note—lOnenl wealth and preokms
stones— Pearl fisheries — BaHwajs — Odomboharfoonr works
—Trade, debt, taxation, and revenoe —Home through India
— Objects in view 198
CHAPTER XIV
IKDIA
A hard-working vioeroy— Bailways in India— Interviews— The
dinner of the bishops— Admiral Bosanqnet— The famine and
plagoe— Loyalty of natives- India and China— Free trade
in India and China— Homeward bound . . . • 215
STATEMENT MADE IN THE HOUSE OP
COMMONS
BRITISH, OOmOEBOIAL, AND POUTIOAL INTHBBST8
IK OHINA 224
CHAPTEB XV
THE FBBSBNT CfilBIS . . .249
CHAPTER XVI
N0TB8 ON A VISIT TO JAPAN AND KOBEA
'The old order changeth '—Yoloanoes— Vegetable prodnots
—Fish and birds— Native oooupations— Proteetive works
—Novel carriages— Custom-house experience— Railways —
Similarity in position of Japan and England— Education-
Newspapers— Taxation of Umd— Oraduated taxation— Com-
mercial dishonesty— Porcelain and cloisonn6— Japanese
coal— Tokyo Arsenal— Mountain resorts— Flowers and
fruit — Japanese .town at night — Ji^anese habits —
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xii CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
pAnx
Japanese women^JApanese funerals— Beligion—JmiBdio-
iion oyer foreigners- -Politioal— Bfarquis Ito— Count Okmna
— Visoonnt Aoki— A Japanese dinner— Kobe to Nagasaki
—The Inland Sea of Japan— The Battle of the Bottles— By
railway to Nagasaki — Nagasaki— Wori» and mines — Japanese
woi^en— British oommeroial interests — ^Island of Tsn-
shima— Korea— First visit to a missionary station in the Far
Bast— Dangerous ooasts— The Korean Peninsula— Fisheries
—Korean goldflelds— Railways — The Emperor and the
Oovemmeni— Attitude of Russia and Japan— Port Hamilton
—Trade— Reyenue— Currency — Money-lending— Religion
-Education— Animals— Raoe— Korean habits and dress—
Amusements— Expedition to the Korean capitsl- General
scenery— Seoul— Electric tramway—Foreign Legations —
The return joomey 257
INDEX 318
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CHINA AND THE PRESENT CRISIS
CHAPTEK I
A VISIT TO NEWCHWANG
OwiNQ to the engrossing nature of the situation in
China, I have decided to begin with my arrival in that
country in August 1899, and to place at the end the
notes on my visit to Japan and Korea.
WBI-HAI-WBI
The first port of call in China was Chefoo, and
the passage from Chemulpo occupied twenty-six
hours. Early in the morning, standing in pretty
close to the shore, we sighted Wei-hai-Wei. I had
an excellent view of the eastern entrance, which is
three miles across, and too shallow for men-of-war to
enter. We also passed the western inlet, which is
a narrow, deep-water entrance. On a mountainous
island between these two entrances the naval station
is situated, and a site has been selected which will
be invisible from the sea, and have a natural and
complete protection against bombardment from out-
side. H.M.S. 'Powerful' was lying at anchor. I
B
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2 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
examined the chart, and found that over the greater
portion of Wei-hai-Wei Bay the water is only three
or three and a half fathoms. The deep-water
anchorage appears to be limited in extent, and
unfortunately it is not protected from the fire of an
enemy by the island, but lies directly opposite the
deep-water entrance. The Chinese had fortifications
on the shore, but these, I understand, the British
are disregarding. There is a range of high bare
hills at the back of Wei-hai-Wei, and practically no
timber, and a very sparse population along the
coast. I was told by a man likely to be well
informed that the Japanese really effected the capture
of Port Arthur by bribery, and that they had even
offered a sum of money to Admiral Ting, the
Chinese commander at Wei-hai-Wei, if he would
hand over that place to them. This Ting indignantly
refused, and fought to the death at the head of his
blue-jackets ; the Chinese soldiers fled.
I was informed that from time to time the range
of the tide varies very much at Wei-hai-Wei. Not
long ago it was so low, even in the deep-water
portion of the harbour, that all the vessels were
aground, including, of course, the men-of-war.
OHEFOO
As we approached Chefoo, in brilliant sunshine,
it looked quite an attractive place, and, as seen from
the sea, large houses, built of brick or stone, seemed
to predominate, in marked contrast to the Korean
towns recently visited.
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VOYAGE TO NEWCHWANG S
The European settlement is on a fairly well
timbered bluff, immediately oyer the sea. Fortu-
nately, the English Consul, Mr. Sundyus, eame on
board expecting to meet Dr. Morrison, the Times
correspondent, from Pekin, who, however, had not
come by our steamer. I was taken ashore by him,
and went up to the Consulate for tiffin. On the
way I ascertained that one of the Butterfield &
Swire's steamers would start at two o'clock for
Newchwang direct, and though it was then 12.45, 1
arranged passages, sent my Chinese boy to transfer
the baggage from one steamer to the other, and left
by the ' Tamsui ' for Newchwang.
VOYAGE TO NBWOHWANG
The ' Tamsui ' is an English ship, and I much
appreciated the absence of smells when we went on
board. She is really a cargo steamer, with little
accommodation for passengers, but we were mademost
comfortable, the captain and officers doing everjrthing
in their power to give us a pleasant time. The food
was wholesome and excellent, and to know how to
appreciate this it was only necessary to have been
for more than a week on board the Japanese steamer
' HigOrMaru.' During the first part of the trip the
sea was like glass ; the moon rose in a clear sky, and
it was simply delightful on the bridge as we glided
northwards past the headland four miles outside
of Port Arthur, on which there is a revolving light.
Early in the morning there was a thunderstorm
and a heavy downpour of rain. There were nearly
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4 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBI8I8
200 Chinese passengers lying about on deck, and
I was sorry for the poor fellows as the torrent of
rain drove them to find shelter in some stuffy
region below. They exhibited considerable curiosity
in regard to the European passengers, filing past
the small cabin and gazing in on us with an ex-
pression of interest on their faces. The majority
of them were on their way to the railway construc-
tion works near Newchwang. They paid only 2^.
per head for the passage, a distance of 210 miles, and
out of this they were fed. Living, however, as they
do, mainly upon rice, the cost of a day's food was not
more than 4^i.
Shortly before we reached the Newchwang Bar
a violent summer squall accompanied by thunder
overtook us, followed by a storm of hailstones, which
when picked up off the deck were solid pieces of ice,
some of them nearly an inch in diameter and more
than half an inch in thickness. We had a bad half-
hour, and the steamer had to lie-to, but the storm
then passed off.
We took a pilot on board and entered the river
leading up to Newchwang, which is some fifteen miles
from its mouth. The river is very winding, and has
flat marshy land on both sides. As we approached
Newchwang the shores were lined by thousands of
junks and barges. The junks trade a long distance,
going even as far soul^ as Shanghai and Hong
Eong. The barges bring bean-cake, bean-oil, and
beans or peas (of which there is an enormous pro-
duction in Manchuria) down from the interior, and
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RAILWAY TBBMXNI 6
then moor in the riyer and watch the oonrse of the
market. What they bring is sold by auction, and
the market fluctuates from day to day ; when they
think a good opportunity has arriyed they dispose of
their cargo. The steamer we came by would take
back about a two-thirds cargo of these products, this
being as much as she could carry to cross the bar
with safety. There were many steamers lying in the
riyer, chiefly owned by the firms of Butterfield & Swire,
Jardine, Matheson, & Co., and the China Trading
Company ; also a ntmiber of Japanese steamers.
On the port side from the bridge there was
a capital yiew of the construction works of the
Newchwang Extension Line, which has been such a
bone of contention as regards the terms upon which
British money was to be adyanced for its construction.
There is a wharf at which the contractors will unload
their railway material close to the site of the terminus.
BBITISH AND BUSSIAK BAILWAY TEBMINI
A more or less indefinite arrangement has been
made for a further concession of land to the British
on the riyer bank at a point where it is nothing but
a malarial swamp. Both this and the railway
terminus are on the wrong side of theijyer— yiz. the
opposite side to the town of Newchwang, which is an
obyious disadyantage. On the other hand the Bussian
railway terminus is on the same side of the riyer as
the town, and has at its back the rich country of
Manchuria from which to draw its traffic when the
railway is completed. The riyer being nayigable for
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6 CHINA AND THE FBESBNT GBISIS
200 miles up into the interior, a certain propor-
tion of produce will, no doubt, continue to come down
by water, and of that the Newchwang Extension
Line may secure a fair share. But I fear that the
extensive system of railways which Bussia is building
through Manchuria will, in the near future, secure
for her the bulk of its trade.
NBWOHWANG
Newchwang is the only treaty port of the Chinese
province of Manchuria, extending over 390,000
square miles, with an excellent climate, fertile soil,
great forests, and mineral wealth. Bussia is rapidly
placing herself in military occupation of this great
country. She has seized Port Arthur and Ta-lien-
Wan, and is making the former impregnable. She
has now about 40,000 soldiers in these places, the
laying down of a system of railways throughout the
counky is rapidly proceeding, and at every railway
station Bussian soldiers are to be found. It was
therefore with great interest that I paid this flying
visit to Manchuria, to ascertain as far as I could
how matters really stood.
On landing, I called upon the British Consul,
Mr. Hosie. Dr. Daly, the English medical man here,
put me up, and I received a most hearty welcome^
TBIP UP THE BUSSIAN BAILWAY PBOM
NBWOHWANG
Armed with a letter of introduction from our
Consul, Mr. Hosie, I called upon Mr. Titoff, ^gineer
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BAILWAY WOBK 7
for the Bascdan railway from Newohwang north-
wards. I was indebted also to the Bnssian Consul
for assistance in bringing us together. The Bossian
railway terminus is at Nui-chia-tun, above the town
of Newchwang. Mr. Titofif undertook to arrange to
have me conveyed up from that place to Ta-shih-chao
— the junction of the Newchwang branch with the
Bussian Main Manchurian Bailway fourteen miles
distant. Captain McSwiney, who speaks Bussian
perfectly, accompanied me. The roads, owing to the
heavy rains, were almost impassable, and though the
tide was against us (and when receding, the river runs
at the rate of seven knots an hour), we decided to go up
the river to the railway. Mr. Bowra, Commissioner
of Customs, most kindly placed at our disposal a
Customs House boat manned by five stalwart China-
men. It took them an hour and a quarter of hard
pulling to get us up the three miles. It was some-
what difficult to land, as the bank of the river rose
sheer up for several feet ; but we managed it by
climbing up an apology for a wharf at which railway
material is discharged, and found ourselves in the
midst of a scene of great activity. Hundreds of men
were at work putting together Baldwin locomotives,
of which seventy-eight are coming here and seventy-
one going to Yladivostock. They were also building
wagons and carriages. The wheels and axles and
other steel and iron parts are sent from America and
Bussia, also the main timber frames ready prepared ;
these are put together, and the other woodwork is
done at the railway terminus, in a number of long
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8 CHINA AND THE PEBSENT OBISIS
sheds roughly constructed of timber, some of which
are covered with corrogated-iron roofing. We f onnd
our way to Mr. TitofTs house close by the terminus,
and he gave us a real Bussian welcome. He made
many apologies for being able to provide only tiimed
meats, as his cook had died of bubonic pla^e two
days before, and as a precautionary measure he had
inmiediately burnt to the ground the kitchen and
adjoining rooms in which his servants lived.
BUSSIAN HOSPITALITY
We were offered vodka, Crimean claret, cham-
pagne ad Ub,, beer and aerated drinks, also an
unlimited quantity of tea, which was served in huge
glasses with sugar but no milk, a little claret being
substituted for milk by the Bussians. We had
excellent chicken soup, tinned Bussian sturgeon,
salmon, chicken, woodcock, and black-cock. Several
other Bussians, including a doctor, a captain of
engineers, Mr. Titoff's assistant engineer, the traffic
manager, and a lady, were of the party. The
tiffin was served under an awning in front of
Mr. Titoff's house, and lasted three hours. We
drank the health of the Queen with musical honours
— ^a large musical box striking up 'God save the
Queen ' at the right moment. Then I proposed the
health of the Czar, and afterwards we drank each
other's health, vowing eternal friendship. It was
indeed a curious position to be in, surrounded by
these most hospitable Bussians. Mr. Titoff told
Captain McSwiney that he was aware I was one
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MB. TITOFP 9
of iheir opponents in the English Parliament, but
that political differences ought not to be allowed to
prevent private friendships. He spoke in warm
terms of Lord Charles Beresford, stating that his
eyes were like^two lanterns, but he said that * Charlie '
had made him angry, and was a naughty boy for
having stated at Shanghai, after his visit, that
Newchwang and its hinterland were full of Bussian
soldiers. He explained that he had taken immense
trouble to collect 160 men (railway guards) from a
wide area in order to receive the English Admiral
with fitting honours, and that this number was only
made up by adding a batch of Cossacks who happened
to be passing through on their way to Port Arthur.
I merely give the statement as it was made, and
express no opinion as to its correctness or otherwise.
After ti£&n he took me upstairs to have a wash,
and before I knew what he was up to had poured a
bottle of scent over my head to refresh me, which,
however, running down into my eyes, hardly added
to my comfort for the next half-hour. He also added
two kinds of scent to the water in which I was to
wash, and insisted on my accepting another bottle as
a present. I never met a man in all my life who
seemed to be so fond of scent. He had a dozen
different sorts in his bedroom, and yet he is a very
big man, of splendid physique, with certainly nothing
effeminate about him.
Mr. Titoff abused the Chinese in unmeasured
terms, and treated all his servants roughly, with
the exception of one or two, to whom he was just as
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10 CHINA AND THE PRESENT GBISIS
kind as he was rude to the rest ; but if his bearing
and conduct towards them is a sample of the way in
which the Bussians treat the Chinese, there will
certainly be no love lost between them. It is only
fair to say, on the other hand, that he is a most
generous man. He has 80,000 acres of land in
Bussia, and an income of 100,000 roubles, which he
gives away right and left. He explained to me that
he had been here two and a half years, that it was all
work, eat, and sleep, a life without repose or society,
and that it had taken six years out of his life. There
was no necessity for him to be here at all, but he
was doing the work for the sake of his country.
He made the servant bring to the tiffin-table a large
portrait of his sister — a lovely girl — who, he said,
was all he had in the world to care for.
EXPBDITION UP THB BUSSIAN BAILWAY
We were taken up the railway by an engine with
a flat truck attached, on which chairs were placed.
Tea, claret, champagne, aerated waters, also cigars
and cigarettes, were taken with us and offered con-
stantly.
The gauge of tli<^ railway is that of Bussia —
viz. 6 feet — whilst the Newchwang Extension
Line, built by British capital, is 4 ft. 8^ in. The
rails are only spiked to the sleepers at present, and
the line is not yet ballasted. Deep ditches have
been cut on either side of the line right across the
flat rich alluvial plain which stretches fifteen miles
from the river to Ta-shih-chao at the foot of a range
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EAILWAY GUABDS 11
of bare green hills ranning north-west and south-
east as far as the eye can reach. The Main
Manchnrian Line rons at the foot of these hills
northwards to Mukden and southwards to Port
Arthur. It is said to be completed eighty miles
both ways, and it certainly was so from my own
personal observation for some miles from the junc-
tion.
The line over which we travelled was in good
condition, considering the nature of the foundation,
the heavy rains that had recently fallen, and the
rapidity with which the work has been executed.
The railway was only begun in April of last year.
The huge plain which stretched from the river to the
hills was covered with splendid crops of millet and
beans. The Chinese villages of mud houses with
flat roofs are much less picturesque than those of
Japan and Korea.
TA-SHm-OHAO
At Ta-shih-chao were several soldiers of remark-
ably fine physique, whom the Bussians term railway
guards. The stalwart station-master was also
evidently a soldier. I took snapshots of them with
my kodak, also of groups of Chinese and of the
surrounding country.
Outside the station the officials were busily en-
gaged in sprinkling liquid disinfectants. Bedding
was being brought out of three houses close by the
railway station, and was burnt within a few yards of
us while we were there, people having died of plague
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12 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
in the houses. We were told that many deaths
from plague have recently occurred all ronnd the
district. Some of the Bnssians were terribly afraid,
and eight or ten who could break away from their
engagements in connection with the railway
crowded round Mr. Titoff, seeking his consent
to return instantly to Bussia. He brought
them back with him in the train, and discussed
matters with each one personally on the way. By
the time we reached Newchwang I think he had
overcome the fears of some of them — at any rate for
the time being.
At the railway junction tea was again served,
and scores of flies hung around one's glass. I
shirked drinking the tea, having some doubt as to
the purity of the water at that plague-stricken spot.
On our return to Mr^ TitofTs house we found
our Chinese boatmen waiting for us. To get on
board we had to slide down an almost perpendicular
slope into the boat, as there was no landing-place
whatever in the neighbourhood. This was. accom-
plished without mishap, except the loss of Captain
McSwiney's helmet, which went floating down the
river. The tide being in our favour, the boatmen
brought us down at a swinging pace.
On my return I met Mr. Sprent, the clergyman
here, at dinner. He is a man of splendid physique
and active habits, and has travelled all through
Manchuria in Chinese dress. He was arrested on
the north of the Amur Biver by the Bussians, and,
though he was armed with everything that was
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INTBENATIONAL DISPUTES 13
requisite in the shape of passports, was transported
back across the river into Chinese territory.
INTBBNATIONAL DISPUTBS
There are several disputes at Newchwang between
EngUsh merchants, the Bussians, and the Chinese
Gk>vemment ; one being the question of some land
adjoining the railway terminus, which has been
occupied by the Bussians without saying ' By your
leave/ and on which Messrs. Bush had advanced
money on mortgage. There are two other cases in
which mining rights have been bought from holders
of Dragon papers by British subjects who have been
refused the necessary ratification by the Chinese
ojQ&cials at Mukden, on the ground that they have
not complied with the terms and conditions imposed
by the Mining Begulations issued in 1898. EEaving
granted mining concessions to Bussia, France, and
Gtermany on more favourable conditions than those
contained in the Mining Begulations, the Chinese
Gk>vemm6nt have denied to British subjects 'all
privileges, immunities, and advantages ' which have
been granted to the subjects or governments of other
;iations, as provided for in the Treaty of Tientsin.
H.M. Consul at Newchwang did not deny that he
had received instructions from the Minister at Pekin
not to assist the merchants of Newchwang in secur-
ing what they and I regard as their just rights. Yet
it is a fact that it has been over and over again stated
in Parliament by her Majesty's Government that
they would give all possible assistance in all cases
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14 CHINA AND THE PEESENT CRISIS
where British subjects were making a bond-fide
application for commercial concessions in China.
Another quibble on the part of the Chinese officials
in regard to these particular matters is that the
new Mining Begulations stipulate that no concession
shall be granted to a foreigner, but only to Chinese
who may introduce foreign capital, or seek the co-
operation of foreigners, with official sanction. They
do this entirely disregarding the fact that they have
given Timing concessions direct to Bussians, French,
and Germans.
ADDITIONAL BBITISH AND BUSSIAN OONOBSSIONS
I also discussed with Mr. Hosie the question of
the additional British concession which is being
negotiated for on the same side of the river as the
Newchwang Extension Line terminus. The tract of
land which has been applied for extends from the
river bank across a neck to the bank of the river
again, as it makes a sweeping curve behind the
railway terminus. This negotiation has been
dragging on almost interminably, and unless we
adopt firmer methods of dealing with the Chinese
Government rapid progress will not be made.
The Bussians are also demanding a further con-
cession of land on the bank of the river opposite
their present terminus. They contemplate bridging
the river to put themselves in a position to link up
their Manchurian Bailway system with the New-
chwang Extension Line, and thus have continuous
railway communication with Pekin. This explains
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NBWCHWANQ EXTENSION LINE 16
the detennination with which they resisted the ob-
taining of any control whatever over the Newchwang
Extension Line by the British capitalists who are
finding the money for its construction. It is reported
that the Russians are abeady buying up these
railway bonds in the London market, and before
many years are over it is possible that they will
be in possession of the railway right down to Pekin,
as the English bondholders can be paid off at any
time by three months' notice at 20 per cent, premium.
IKTBBVIBW WITH THB BBSIDBNT BNGINBBB
Mr. Wright, the resident engineer for the section
at this end of the Newchwang Extension Line, came
to breakfast one morning in order to give me an
opportunity for a little conversation. He stated that
they expected to get the whole of their rails and other
material delivered by the end of September 1899.
They hoped to have engines with construction trains
running over the railway from Newchwang to
Shan-hai-kwan by March 1900. They have ordered
Baldwin engines from America, partly because they
are cheaper than English engines, but mainly owing
to English makers being unable to undertake to
execute the orders in less than two years.
A considerable quantity of rails, machinery, and
other materials are being supplied from England and
Scotland. A ship was expected daily, when I was
there, with 16,000 casks of German cement.
Chang-yi, the new Chinese official appointed as
the head of this railway— which, though it is being
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16 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
built with British money by British engineers, is
a Chinese Gbverment railway — ^is still giving the
chief engineer, Mr. Kinder, very great trouble. He is
anxious that the line should be sold to Bussia. The
Bussians are causing considerable difficulty by
sending men down to try and tempt away foremen
and skilled workmen both from Shanghai workshops
and dockyards, and from the construction works of
the Newchwang Extension Line. They promise an
enormous increase in wages, which they pay for a
few weeks and then discontinue, with the result
that the men are very discontented and are coming
back to English employment. As in the case of the
Bussian Manchurian Bailway, the carriages and
wagons are being built out here, engine repairing
and erecting and carriage-building works having
been established at Tong-Shan. The wheels and
axles and other fittings are got from England, while
the woodwork is made on the spot.
NBWOHWANa TRADE
The trade of Newchwang is growing : the total
value of imports and exports in 1898 was 4,684,474{.,
as compared with 8,926,3442. in 1897.
The total tonnage of shipping cleared inwards
and outwards in 1898 was 827,777 tons, compared
vnth 780,967 tons in 1897.
English shipping was 309,612 tons, as against
the Bussian 3,462 tons and the French nil in 1^8.
The United States of America had only 4,894 tons.
The most remarkable feature is the enormous
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TRADE OF NBWOHWANG 17
strides made by the shipping trade of Japan. In
1897 the total tonnage of their vessels in and out of
Newchwang was 86,000, while in 1898 it amounted
to 202,000.
The main exports from Newchwang are bean-
cake, peas, and beans. The bean-cake is used as a
manure, and is principally exported to Bwatow and
Ewang-tung, and also to Japan.
The duties levied by the Chinese Maritime Cus-
toms apply only to foreign shipping, and in addition
there is an enormous trade done in native junks
between Newchwang, Korea, and theminor coastports
of China, which are not included in the trade sta-
tistics. Mr. Bowra drew my attention to the hindrance
to trade which is involved in the Chinese regulation
prohibiting the export of foodstuffs. This gives
rise to no end of bribing of native officials on the
part of agriculturists and merchants in order that
they may look the other way when a cargo' of grain
is being loaded for export. No less than 85,0007.
worth of millet and other grain was smuggled last
year out of the ports of Newchwang and Chef oo for
Korea. The free export of grain and other produce
all over China would stimulate trade enormously.
The trade of Newchwang will show a considerable
increase this year (1899) over last year, and when
the railway system of Manchuria and also the New-
chwang Extension Lines have been completed, the
trade of this port ought to advance by leaps and
bounds, provided it has fair play. The demand on
the part of Lord Salisbury for the insertion of a
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18 OHINA AND THB PBESEMT GBISIS
stiptdation which would have secured that the goods
of British traders shall be carried over the railways
constracted in Manchuria by the Bussians on the
same terms as the goods of Bussia or of any other
nation was not conceded. It remains to be seen,
therefore, whether the Bussians will, by the imposi-
tion of difiEerential rates, strangle the great trade
which British merchants are doing with Manchuria
through the treaty port of Newchwang.
Having regard to the fact that British trade here
amounts to 3,0O0,00OZ. sterling a year, and that it is
the last foothold that the Bussians have left us
in Manchuria, it seems extraordinary that no British
gunboat is stationed at Newchwang. The other
day, when word was brought to Mr. Hosie, the
Consul, that a serious assault had been committed
in the native town upon a European, he' actually
asked the Bussians to lend him Cossacks to go down
and rescue the man. This is a practical acquiescence
in Bussia's policing Newchwang, and simply suicidal
as far as British interests are concerned.
CHINESE IMPEBIAL OUSTOMS EBVENUB
The revenue for 1898 for the whole of China was
22,503,897 taels, which shows a diminution, but
this has arisen on two articles only, opium and tea ;
there having been a decrease of nearly 4,000,000 taels
in ' likin ' on foreign opium and 700,000 taels on tea.
The f alling-off in revenue on opium is not due to the
fact that a less quantity is consumed, but is owing to
the increased quantity grown in Manchuria. A high
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A C3HINBSB OPINION 19
duty is levied on opium — viz. 110 taels (80 taels duty
and 80 taels lildn) per pioul containing 188^ \h., and
worth in the market 700 to 800 dollars. The export
duty on tea is 2 taels 6 cents a picul ; in addition
to tins, lildn charges are also levied upon tea. The
imposition of this is said to have seriously injured
the China tea trade. However, apart from the
opium and tea revenue, there has been a substantial
increase in the trade done in other dutiable articles.
All duties are paid in the Hai-Ewan tael, which
was taken at 2$, lOid. in making up the figures
for 1898. This was originally a lump of pure
silver weighing one ounce, but by custom it varies
in weight all over China. Boughly speaking, it is
equal to one and a third Mexican dollars.
TIFFIN WITH CHINAMEN
One day Dr. Daly invited Mr. Chen-Yu-Ting, a
Chinese merchant here, cmd a Mr. Tong, the secretary
of the Newchwang Extension Bailway, to tiffin.
The former gentleman gave me his views on the
present political situation in China. He considers that
China may be at any moment on the eve of a great
crisis. He described the present Empress Dowager
as having ' tucked the yoxmg Emperor under her arm
and won't allow him to move.* She is now sixty-
five years of age and broken in health through being
worried with the cares and intrigues necessary to
maintain her position. He would not be surprised
to hear of her death at any time. When this takes
place there will probably be three factions striving
o2
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30 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CEISIS
for mastery in China. One will be tinder Jnng-Lui
the generalissimo of all the forces in North China
and nephew of the Empress Dowager, who is
against reform and is anti-foreign. Another faction
might be headed by Eang-Yi, a member of the Gfrand
Council ; he and Jnng-Lu together broke down the
Beform party, but he will play for his own hand
if an opportmiity arises. The third faction would
probably be under the leadership of Prince Ching,
now President of the Tsung-li-Yamen; he is a col-
lateral relation of the present Emperor, and is to a
certain extent patriotic and in favour of reform.
These are all Manchus, and there would still have
to be taken into consideration the Cantonese,
amongst whom are to be found the majority of the
reformers of China, and who might obtain the
support of the Chinese generally in a united effort
to deprive the Manchus of the governing power in
China.
The difiGiculties in the way of a union of forces
are the distinctive local characteristics and preju-
dices in each province. Each province pays and
controls its own army, and the weakness of China
in the war with Japan was to a considerable
extent due to the fact that the different armies and
the different sections of the navy did not work
together. I asked the question as to whether there
Was any improvement in the organisation and
equipment of any provincial armies since the war of
1894-6, and was told that though the antiquated
gun known as a ' jingall ' is in use in some parts, yet
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A POLITICAL POBBCAST 21
armies like those of Chang-Chih-Tong and of Liu-
Eun-Yi (Viceroy of Nanking) have modem rifles.
Chen-Yu-Ting thinks that when the inevitable
straggle takes place among the different sections of
the Chinese, Bnssia will take advantage of the crisis,
and, advancing south of the Great Wall, will seize
as much of China as possible. She would first
occupy Chihli, Shensi, Eansuh, and then Shansi and
Honan. At the same time he believes that the
French would advance from the south and en-
deavour to occupy a large portion of Southern
China, and, if possible, penetrate far enough north-
wards to enable them to join hands with Bussia.
He said that Young China contains many men
who are true patriots, holding enlightened views,
but states that in view of the fact that for 2,000
years all Emperors have repressed the people, it
is no wonder that they lack those qualities of
self-reliance, courage, and patriotism, the want of
which leaves them so absolutely at the mercy
of any strong Power to-day. He considers that
the only hope for China is to have its army re-
organised under British officers, and he does not
believe that the educated Chinese on the coast
of China would object to have the assistance of
Japanese officers sJso. He reminded me of the
recent notice given by M. de Giers to the Tsung-
li-Yamen, warning them that any alliance between
China and Japan would be an unfriendly act, and
would be followed by serious consequences. He said
that the present officials at Pekin are for the most
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22 OHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
part in Bossian pay, having, it is generally believed,
been bought by Bussian gold. He added tiiat Bnasia
knows that both in climate and agriculturally
China is much superior to Siberia, "and that it is
not surprising that she should endeavour to gain
possession of as much of it as possible. He urged
that the English ought to give greater facilities for
the naturalisation of Chinese at Singapore and
Hong-Eong, and that they ought also to follow the
example of the French Consuls at Bankok and
Saigon, and instruct British Consuls to naturalise all
Chinese or other applicants at every treaty port
throughout China. He said that if any inhabitant
of India comes to China he enjoys British protection
as a British subject, but if a Hong-Eong or Singa-
pore Chinese resident comes to China he does not
have this protection unless he has fulfilled the con-
ditions at present so difficult to comply with, and
become a naturalised British subject. He drew
attention to a condition imposed before naturalisation
can take place — viz. the cutting off of the pigtail
and the adoption of European dress — and contended
that this ought not to be insisted upon.
He stated that the French in Annam extend the
privileges of naturalisation to all applicants. His
opinion is that Bussia has placed herself so rapidly
in military occupation of North China that England
would in all probability not have time to finish the
construction of a railway from British Burmah to
the upper Yang-tsze before the crisis, and that, there-
fore, her true policy, if she is not to be squeezed out
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MISSIONS IN MANGHUBIA 28
ot China altogether, lies in giving every assistanoe to
the creation and reorganisation of a powerfal Chinese
army — ^thos helping the Chinese to help themselves.
I give the views thus expressed by an intelligent
Chinese merchant as nearly as possible as he stated
them to me, and I think they show how comprehen-
sive a grasp of the situation some, at any rate, of the
Chinese are able to take.
MISSIONS IN MANGHUBIA
The Irish Presbyterians and the Presbyterian
Chnrch of Scotland have together ten centres where
European missionaries work, and the Danish
European Lutheran Church has four centres. They
have altogether about 10,000 converts.
There are thirty European Protestant mission-
aries on the ground, and of these ten are medical.
There are also ten lady missionaries and 140 native
preachers. They have day schools, with 1,000
scholars, and between twenty and thirty Sunday
schools.
They own very valuable property in the shape
of hospitals, chapels, schools, and residences, and
their work is carried on at a cost of 15,000{. a year.
The French Boman Catholic missions are still
more extensive. They have many churches through-
out Manchuria, also schools, orphanages, and landed
property, with two bishops and quite a number of
priests. They claim about 60,000 converts.
If Bussia annexes Manchuria, and adopts the
same policy there that prevails in Bussia, missionary
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24 OHINA AND THE PBESBNT GBISIB
enterprises, which have been built up at so great a
costi and with such beneficial results, will in all pro-
bability be extinguished.
Dr. Daly, my host, is a Chinese mandarin, having
received the Double Dragon Decoration from the
Emperor for Bed Cross services at Newohwang during
the Chino- Japanese war.
ADVANTAOBS OF MANOHUBU
Manchuria is emphatically the white man's
climate in China, the thermometer in summer rarely
rising above 87'' in the shade, while in the winter
it sometimes goes down to l?"" below zero, but as it
is a dry cold it is not severely felt. There are resi-
dents here who have been out twenty-five years
continuously, and who are perfect examples of health
and strength. The physique of the Chinese inhabi-
tants is simply splendid. These facts show the folly
of the British Government in having failed to main-
tain British treaty rights in Manchuria.
I was sorry to hear before I left that the bubonic
plague was spreading rapidly, and that many deaths
were taking place daily. The plague was of a very
virulent type, and almost invariably fatal, death
occurring in from forty-eight to ninety-six hours.
The gravity of tiie situation was so far re-
cognised that the owners refused to take any
Chinese passengers for Chefoo on board the boat,
with the exception of my Chinese boy. Therefore
we had the whole ship to ourselves, apart from the
officers and crew.
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A BXTSSO-OmNESB FLAG 26
As a parting gift and souvenir of Newohwang,
Dr. Daly brought me a flag which is being adopte4
by the Bxuraians in connection with their Manchnrian
railway system. It has the Chinese dragon in one
comer, and the Bussian colours in the other, and is
very significant of the way in which the wind is
blowing.
Mr. Chen-Tu-Ting, one of the Chinese gentle-
men who had tiffin with me yesterday, also sent
me his photograph and a second photograph of
the Emperor and four of the most enlightened
Befonners.
The s.s. 'Higo-Maru* was also leaving New-
chwang for Chef oo that afternoon, but though she is a
fast boat, I preferred the cleanliness and wholesome
food on the ' Tamsui ' to a repetition of my experi-
ences hereafter described on board the Japanese ship.
In coming down the river we had a strong smnmer
gale blowing, and I was much impressed with the
steadiness and seaworthy qualities of the huge
Chinese junks which were also on their way to sea.
The design for the English turret ships was suggested
by the Chinese junk, which is constructed on the
same model to-day as has been in vogue for the last
two thousand years. The upper part is perpendicular
and nairow, a short distance above the water-line it
bulges right out on both sides, which makes it not
only a good sea-boat, but also gives below water a
large carrying capacity. The way the Chinese
sailors handle their junks shows them to be very
skilful seamen.
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26 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CEISIS
I said * Good-bye * to Captain MoSwiney at Dr.
Daly's. He starts to-morrow for England. He pur-
poses going up through Manchuria and right
across Siberia and Bussia, in order to gain as much
knowledge as possible of what is being done. He is
doing this entirely on his own initiative, and at his
own expense. His regiment, the 7th Dragoon
Guards, is at present stationed at Aldershot, and I
expect to meet him on my return home to compare
notes.
NBWOHWANQ TO OHBFOO
The sea was rough outside, but the * Tamsui '
being pretty well laden was remarkably steady, and
we had on the whole a comfortable passage. We
reached Chefoo in heavy rain next day. The port
doctor, Mr. Molyneux, took me ashore in the Customs
House boat between showers, but we were obliged to
take shelter at Comabe & Eckford's office, where
we remained prisoners during the next two hours, the
rain coming down in torrents. Mr. Anderson, of
Comabe & Eckford, who is also a member of the
Beform Club, gave me his views of the situation
in China. He showed me a petition to her
Majesty's Government, which is to be signed at
every port in China, urging that British rights and
interests should be upheld in a more vigorous fashion.
The document, however, was far too vague ; it con-
tained no clear and definite statement of what the
merchants out here really want, and therefore it is
not likely to count for anything with Lord Salisbury.
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27
CHAPTER n
OHBFOO TO TIENTSIN
I WENT on board Messrs. Butterfield & Swire's boat,
the * Wuchang/ at twelve o'clock (noon), expecting
that she would sail immediately, but found that the
rain which was falling had compelled them to stop
discharging her cargo, and it was five o'clock before
she actually sailed.
Among the goods which were being unloaded
at Chef 00 were cotton piece-goods from England and
America, also rice, sugar, paper, and dried seaweed.
The sea was pretty rough, even in the harbour, and
we expected to be pitched about when we got out-
side. The wind, however, dropped, and we had a
fairly smooth passage to Taku Bar, the entrance to
the Pei-ho, which leads up to Tientsin. We arrived
at the Bar at eleven o'clock, only to find that it was
low water and that the detention of several hours
before the steamer could enter the river would
cause us to miss the last train to Tientsin. We,
however, succeeded in getting a tug-boat to take us
up after waiting about three hours. Though this
boat only drew about five feet of water, she stuck on
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38 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CEISIS
the bar for a quarter of an hour, until the water
rose a little farther.
Close by us, at anchor, were five new oroisers
which had jnst been purchased by the Chinese
Gbvemment. Two of them were built by Armstrong,
Mitchell, & Co., of Newcastle^n-Tyne, and the other
three by the Germans. They are said to be the
fastest cruisers afloat, going twenty-four knots an
hour, and are fitted with every modem appliance ; but
they just lie there — ^the Chinese practically do not
cruise in them at all. It seems probable they will
be of little value to the Chinese as a fighting power.
One Italian and one Austrian cruiser were anchored
alongside the Chinese ships.
One of Messrs. Holt Brothers' steamers from
Liverpool, about 9,000 tons burden, was discharging
cargo into huge lighters. She could not cross the bar
even at high water, and, indeed, much smaller steamers
have to discharge a considerable portion of their cargo
outside before they are able to enter. The river up to
Tientsin has been allowed to silt up to such an extent
that no steamers are able at present to reach it.
From our steamer they began to discharge China tea,
which was on its way from Hankow to Bussia. The
Bussians are by far the largest consumers of China
tea, which they prefer to our Indian and Ceylon tea.
Largequantities of arsenic powder were also being put
on board a lighter — ^this is used for preserving skins.
Tientsin is a great centre for trade in all kinds of
furs and skins, including sables.
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THE PEI-HO 99
THB PBI-HO AND TAKU FOBTS
After crossing the bar we approached the entrance
to the Pei-ho— the word * ho ' m Chma means river,
so it is really the Pei Biver. On both sides are the
huge mud forts of Taka, which have more than once
offered a stout resistance to the English and French
in their wars with China. These are very extensive,
and have many guns mounted. On the way up the
river were more mud forts.
We passed the Imperial Naval Tard, which
looked in a somewhat dilapidated condition. There
were also in the river several new torpedo destroyers,
which have been built in England for the Chinese
Government.
On both sides of the river, flat marshy land
stretched away as far as the eye could reach. A
number of curious horizontal windmills were revolv-
ing and pumping up sea water into large reservoirs,
where it is allowed to evaporate, and then the salt
which remains is collected.
TONG-KU
On landing at Tong-Ku, where we took the train,
we were surrounded by a large crowd of coolies
clamouring to carry the baggage. When given the job
they began to demand extortionate terms. As there
was no fixed tariff, and no other means of getting our
baggage to the railway station, we had to submit —
the amount paid for a quarter of an hour's work
being equivalent to a day's wage. They reminded
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80 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
me somewhat of the crowd that used to lay hold of
one's baggage by main force on landing at Tunis.
BVIDBNCB OF BBTTISH TBADB
When I got on the landing-stage I was much
gratified to see a huge pile of new steel rails bearing
the stamp of the Barrow Hematite Steel Company,
Limited. It gave me great encouragement in the
efforts I am making to promote British trade with
China to have this practical proof that the miners of
the Bamsley Division have a direct personal interest
in the railway extensions which are being made in
China, for no doubt both coal and coke from the
Barrow Collieries were used in the production of
these rails at the Barrow Works.
TIENTSIN
We had a pleasant journey of an hour and a half
by rail up to Tientsin (twenty-seven miles). On the
way from the railway station my jinricksha passed
through the French settlement of Tientsin, where
the whole of the streets are named in French. On
entering the English settlement I found myself
dashing along Victoria Boad. The buildings in this
settlement are excellent structures of stone and brick,
and while in the European quarter it is difficult to
imagine that you are in China. I called on Mr.
Cousins, of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co., and
went with him to hear a rather good band which
wafi playing in the public gardens.
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PEKIN TEBMINUS 81
FBOM TIBNTSm TO PBKIN
I left Tientsin on August 27, in company with
Mr. Hillier, the manager of the Hong-Kong and
Shanghai Bank at Pekin. We travelled in what
is known as the postal car, which was really
comfortable. The country from Tientsin to Pekin
— ^a distance of about eighty miles, which we did in
three hours — ^is absolutely flat. As you approach
Pekin there is a fine range of hills which runs from
east to west, broken in outline, and forming a
beautiful background across the plain.
There are very few trees until nearing Pekin,
when the country is fairly well wooded. The ex-
tensive plain was covered with splendid crops of
millet and other cereals. At one railway station I
was glad to have a further practical proof of how
the working men at home are interested in the
development and opening up of China in the shape
of a trainload of bridge girders made in Glasgow.
PBKIN
The Pekin terminus is about five miles from
the city. There are beautifully fitted tramcars
driven by electricity for a portion of the way, but
these are of little use to passengers with baggage.
There are three modes of getting from the railway
station into the Tartar city of Pekin. First by one
of the numerous covered-in carts, which are drawn
by mules and trundle along in a perfect cloud of
dust, which is literally inches thick along the
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S3 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBIBIS
roadway ; second, to ride into the city on a donkey ;
third, to be carried in a sedan chair by four stalwart
Chinamen. I adopted the last-named. The men
went along at a swinging pace, and gave a sort of
jerky motion to the chair which was not altogether
agreeable. They landed me safely at the Hong-
Eong and Shanghai Bank — ^where I was put up by
Mr. Hillier — ^in an hour and a quarter, a distance of
over five miles. At the end of the first two miles
we came to the outer city wall and entered by a gate-
way into the Chinese city. After passing through
a portion of the city we traversed a broad road
with waste ground on each side of it, and beyond
it on the right hand was the * Temple of Heaven '
and on the left the ' Temple of Agriculture,' both in
huge walled enclosures. As we passed along the
streets the people gazed with considerable curiosity
on the 'foreign devil.' Many of the shops have
. fronts of beautifully carved woodwork. They open
on to the street, and large quantities of clothes and
other iGbrticles which are ofiered for sale are spread
out on the roadway, where they are soon covered
with dust.
We shortly came to the massive wall surround-
ing the Tartar city, which we entered by a huge
gateway, and soon afterwards arrived at Legation
Street, in which most of the Foreign Legations are
situated, and also the Hong-Kong and Shanghai
Bank.
The population of Pekin is estimated at about
700,000. There is no other city like it in the
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CLUB AT PEEIN 88
muyerse, and, though teixibly dirty, it is most
interesting.
On arrival, I found an invitation to dine with
Mr. Bax Ironside, H.B.M. Oharg^ d'Afiiskires, the
same evening. Mr. Hillier took me round to the
very cosmopolitan club, where we found lawn tennis
in full swing. Some sets were being played by men
of four distinct nationalities, who, though they may
be fighting each other strenuously in regcuxl to
political afEedrs, still meet in a perfectly friendly
way on this neutral ground. The club is situated
just within the great wall surrounding the Tartar
city.
Mr. Bredon, Sir Bobert Hart's Assistant Comp-
troller of Customs, dined with me at Mr. Bax Iron-
side's, and we had a long and animated talk on all
the important events that have happened in China
during the last two years.
Before leaving Mr. Hillier's I went into the
dining-room, where he was entertaining five Chinese
gentlemen at dinner. I was introduced to Hu-Yuen-
Meh, the president of the Chinese railways, who
was ousted from that position by intrigue largely on
account of his friendliness to the English, and re-
placed by Chang-Ti, the president now in power.
VISIT TO MISSION STATION
The weather was perfect, and, contrary to
expectation, not at all unbearably hot. My first
expedition was in search of the Bev. Mr. Stonehouse
at the London Mission, to whom I had a letter of
D
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34 I CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CRISIS
introduoidon from my friend Mr. Albert Spioer, M.P.
I was oony^ed in one of the ordinary Chinese carts
without springs and drawn by a mole. The roads
in Pekin, with the exception of Legation Street,
are simply in the condition that they have been in
for centuries — ankle-deep in dust or mud, accord-
ing to the weather, and with deep ruts every-
where. It was a case not exactly of 'rattle hJs
bones over the stones/ but of * rattle his bones over
the ruts.' I reached my destination in a very sore
and battered condition, only to find that I had been
brought to the wrong mission station. Two lady
missionaries, however, very kindly undertook to send
my letter across the city to Mr. Stonehouse, and to ask
him to come and see me at the Hong Kong and
Shanghai Bank. They also suggested that if I sat
outside the cart on the shaft I should feel the jolt-
ing much less, and it was in this fashion that I
made the return journey — having to hold on pretty
tight to avoid being thrown off.
I left cards on M. de Giers and M. Eroupen-
sky at the Bussian Legation, and then called on
Mr. Bax Ironside, with whom I spent two hours in
the discussion of the political situation. I came
away convinced that our representatives out here do
all in their power, and that their failure to maintain
British rights and interests has been and is largely
due to the want of proper support and backing on
the part of Lord Salisbury, by whose direction every
surrender has been made.
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DIPLOMATISTS AT PBKIN 86
IKTBBViKW WITH M. EB0UPBKSE7
In the afternoon, M. Eroupensky, from the
Bnssian Legation, returned my caU, and we had a
most lively diBcnssidh, lasting two hours and a half,
on all the difficulties which have arisen between
England and Bussia in China. From a Bnssian
standpoint he made an able defence of the action
that they have taken in regard to various matters.
He spol^ English perfectly, and displayed a com-
plete knowledge and grasp of every question. He
promised me a letter of introduction to the Gbvemor
of Port Arthur.
OALIi ON JAPANBSB mNISTBB
I next called upon the Japanese Minister, to
whom I had a letter of introduction from Viscount
Aoki, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan.
The Minister was out of Pekin, but I saw his First
Secretary, with whom I had a long conversation on
my experiences in Japan and on the political
situation generally, both past and present. In
common with every other Japanese politician or
diplomatist whom I have met, he was full of friendly
expressions towards England, and, above everything
else, desirous that there should be complete co-
operation in the furtherance of our mutual interests
in the Far East.
THE TABTAB CITY WALL
My last expedition for the day was to ascend the
great Wall surrounding the Tartar City, and to pass
D2
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36 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBIBIS
along the top for a mile or so to the Oieat Central
Pagoda over the mam entrance. The view it com-
mands is extensive, as Pekin is situated on a
perfectly flat plain. The city contains everywhere
an abundance of fine timber, and behind this, as
a background, runs the range of Western Hills,
making J^ekin attractive from a scenic point of view.
There is, however, practically no drainage whatever,
and naturally the smells encountered everywhere,
coupled with the filth and dirt, somewhat lessen
one's pleasure. I would not, however, on any
account, have missed seeing Pekin. The narrow
streets, through which one had to pick one's way,
were crowded with people pursuing their various
avocations and journeying to and fro without a
thought, for the most part, of the great world outside
their city, and, if I am correctly informed, with few
exceptions, in complete ignorance of the political
events so vitally affecting their great Empire, which
have been occurring in such rapid succession for the
last two years. I had heard much of anti-foreign
feeling, but though I passed freely along the streets,
beyond a certain exhibition of curiosity, I did not
see the slightest display of incivility.
There were numerous donkeys, with jingling bells,
astride of which Chinamen, clad in gorgeous raiment
and fine linen, sat unconcernedly amidst the jostling
crowds in these Chinese thoroughfares. The musical
cries of itinerant vendors of various trades, of donkey
boys and chair-bearers, fell upon the ear ; and in the
night there was the barking of innumerable dogs.
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PBKIN WALLS 87
Li winter clouds of dust sweep oyer Pekin from
the Gk)bi Desert in Mongolia — denser, even, and
mbre penetrating than a London fog.
CITY WALLS, FBEIN
The Tartar or Inner City, and the Chinese or
Outer City, are both surrounded by walls which
consist of a stone foundation and two brick walls
filled in between with mud. Those of the northern
or Tartar city are about 40 feet high ; at the base
about 50 feet thick, narrowing to 36 feet at the top
and defended by massive buttresses at intervals of
300 yards. There are nine gates leading into it, above
each of which a pagoda of striking appearance, about
100 feet high, is raised; besides these, each gate has
on the outside a semi-circular — on some gates a square
— enceinte in which a somewhat smaller pagoda
stands opposite to the gate pagoda. The middle gate
of the southern side, the Ch'ien-men, or Front Gate,
whose enceinte is pierced by three entrances, is much
the largest.
FOBBIDDBN CITY, PBKIN
Liside the Tartar City is the * Forbidden City,'
where the Lnperial Palaces are situated. This is
also surrounded by a wall, and no foreigner or
Chinaman not occupying a certain official position
has been admitted beyond the first building inside the
main entrance. There is a mountain of coal just
inside the wall, which can be seen from the outside.
It has been there 300 years, and is supposed to
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88 OmNA AND THE PBBSENT GBISIS
be a reserve stock for use in the Imperial Palaces
in any time of siege. The Celestials apparently
do not know that after being exposed to the atmo-
sphere for 800 years the bnming qualities of the
material would be gone.
THB GOVBBNMSNT OF CHINA
Next day my first call was upon Mr. Pethick, an
American, who is one of the private secretaries of
Li-Hung-Chang. He informed me that the Board
of Foreign AfEsdrs, known as the Tsung-li-Yamen, has
really no executive power. They hear statements
of cases, and then report through their president to
the Grand Council of State, which consists of about
ten members. This council considers various ques-
tions, and attaches to the documents relating to each
case a piece of red paper, on which their decision is
written. If they do not arrive at a unanimous con-
clusion, then the opinions of those dissenting are also
stated. The members of the Grand Council go to
the Imperial Palace every morning at daybreak, and
are received in audience by the Empress Dowager.
All the documents relating to the afEairs of State are
then submitted, one by one, for the approval, or
otherwise, of the Empress Dowager. She signifies
her approval by making a small spot on the margin
of the red paper with one of the brushes with which
the Chinese write. In the absence of this indica-
tion of sanction on her part the matter falls to the
ground, and her power is absolute and final.
Members of the Grand Council, and also of
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A BBITISH BLUNDBB 89
the Tsimg-li-Yamen, are appointed solely by the
Empress, and one and all are liable to instant dis-
missal by her. The Gh»nd CSooncil is really the
Goyemment or Cabinet of the country, and is, as a
rule, mainly composed of those who preside over the
Boards controlling the yarious departments of State.
The deposed yotmg Emperor occasionally sits be-
side the Empress Dowager when she receiyes her
Ministers.
BBPOSITIOK OF THB BMPBBOB
A most serious blunder, far-reaching in its con-
sequences, was made by the British Qoyemment
when they tamely allowed the deposition of the
Emperor in 1898 and the usurpation of the throne
by the Empress Dowager. The young Emperor was
undoubtedly in fayour of reform and the opening of
China to trade, whilst the Empress Dowager is
reactionary and anti-foreign. Under her rule the
most unenlightened, corrupt, and anti-foreign place-
hunters are in office.
The way in which the British Minister not only
acquiesced in the coup d*6tat, but actually arranged
with the Empress Dowager to giye a reception to
ladies of the British and other Legations, was a
scandal.
This proceeding gaye an emphatic official sanc-
tion to the remoyal of the Emperor and the assump-
tion of his position by the Empress Dowager. It
encouraged anti-foreign feeling and discouraged the
party of reform.
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40 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
The policy pursued is responsible for the lives
of scores of the most patriotic Chinese reformers
which were sacrificed ; it enabled the reactionary
el^nents in the country to triumph, and dealt a heavy
blow at the reform movement.
A substantial majority of the inhabitants of
China are opposed to the Manchu Dynasty now
ruling the Empire. The Manchus, however, being a
more warlike race, dominate the Chinese by Manchu
garrisons stationed at various centres throughout
the Empire.
Now that the trend of events is in the direction
of the absorption by Bussia of Manchu populations
in Manchuria and the North of China, it is not im-
probable that the Chinese may ultimately succeed
in throwing off the yoke of the Manchus and setting
up a purely Chinese Government.
Meantime it is certain that the Chinese reformers
of the South would favour the restoration of the
rightful Emperor rather than the continuance in
power of the Empress Dowager.
PBKIN BUNUOHS
I am told that the eunuchs at the Palace, of
whom there are about 200, practically rule China.
They have acquired great influence over the Empress
Dowager. It is said that official appointments and
concessions can only be got by bribing the Eunuchs.
The Eunuchs and those in command of the military
forces are said to share the ' squeezes,' which they
would lose were administrative reforms introduced.
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PBINOE OHINQ 41
INTBBYIBW WITH PBIKOB OHING
I paid another visit to the British Legation, and
had a farther conversation vnth the Chargd d' Affaires
in the absence of Sir Claude Macdonald. Mr. Bax
Ironside had forwarded on the previous day a letter
of introduction from Lord Charles Beresford to
Prince Ching, a Prince of the Imperial family of
China and President of the Tsung-li-Yamen, and the
reply came that His Highness would be pleased to
give me an audience at the Yamen at three o'clock
in the afternoon. At that hour I was at the entrance
of the Yamen, and was ceremoniously conducted
into an audience hall, where I found a round table
covered with £ruit, biscuits, and sweets. Prince
Ching's interpreter, who spoke fairly good EngUsh,
came and chatted to me along with three members
of the Tsung-li-Yamen. He explained that His
EQghness was being interviewed by the Italian
Minister, but that he would not be detained long.
In a very few minutes Prince Ching came into the
audience hall, and I was presented to him.
We at once took seats round the table, and tea
and Chinese wines were served. Our conversation was
of the most interesting and pleasant character. The
Prince appeared to be an honest and straightforward
man, and put some very pertinent questions. The
hall in which the audience took place was a large
square room vnth an overhanging roof, and had a
verandah all round it; the windows were filled ynth
leaded panes, reminding me of church casements.
The roof was of carved and brightly painted wood-
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42 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
work. Three other members of the Tsmig-li-Yamen
sat at the same table with Prince Ching and myself ;
their secretaries occupied seats on a sort of conch,
which ran all round the room, fixed to the wall ;
whilst other attendants stood and listened to what
was said. This is usual at such audiences, and the
fact that so many individuals hear everjrthing, even
at the most important interviews, accounts for the
impossibility of keeping anything secret that transpires
at the Tsung-li-Yamen in regard to political or other
afibirs.
I urged upon His Highness that the only hope
of averting the partition of China lay in : —
First. — ^The prompt settlement of all outstanding
differences with England and other powers.
Second. — ^A resolute refusal of concessions violat-
ing the Treaty rights of other nations.
Third. — The seeking the assistance of English,
Japanese, and American officers in the immediate
re-organisation of her military and naval forces.
His Highness expressed his hearty approval of
the line of policy which I advocated, and stated that
it would receive his serious consideration.
Prince Ching made most friendly references to
England. He said he had always regarded her as
the friend of China, but had been greatly disappointed
at the refusal of the necessary support to the Chinese
Government to enable them to resist the demands of
other Powers which involved violations of the Treaty
of Tientsin.
The audience lasted nearly an hour.
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LI-HUNG-OHANG 43
IHTBBVIBW WITH LI-HUNG-OHANG
I next proceeded to Li-Hung-Chang's private
residence, where I found Mr. Pethick, who had
arranged the interview, awaiting me. I was soon
face to face with the great Chinaman who has played
so important a part in the afiairs of China during
the last half-century. He was associated closely with
G-ordon in overcoming the Taiping Bebellion, and
has from time to time held some of the highest official
positions in China. He represented his country on
a most important mission to Europe, visiting in the
course of it practically aU the European Courts,
where he was received with every mark of distinction.
It was he who settled the terms of peace with the
Marquis Ito at Shimonoseki. Many people openly
accuse him of having sold his country into the
hands of Bussia. As to the truth of this I know
nothing, but I found it extremely interesting to
meet so notable a man, whose ability and shrewd-
ness are undoubted. His Excellency asked me a
great many questions, some of them of an almost
impertinently inquisitive character; but, on the
other hand, he made many inquiries about pohtical
and commercial afibirs which revealed how complete
a grasp he had of the present situation.
I urged upon him the necessity for adopting, as
the one means of preventing the partition of China,
the policy which I had submitted for the con-
sideration of His Highness Prince Ching, and Li-
Hung-Chang expressed his strong approval of my
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44 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
guggestdons. He stated that it they cotdd be carried
out he was prepared to devote the remainder of his
life to the service of his country. Faihng this, he
considered the situation hopeless, and would remain
in retirement. Mr. Pethick proved a most excellent
interpreter, and my conversation was carried on with
wonderful ease, though neither of us could speak a
word of each other's language.
It is usual for Chinamen to be polite enough to
profess to agree with whatever those who interview
them say. It was, therefore, impossible to know
whether these distingtdshed men really agreed with
what I urged upon them or not.
The reason why I pressed the importance of
endeavouring to secure the assistance of English,
Japanese, and American military officers in the
reorganisation of their miUtary force, is that I do
not approve of depriving the Chinese of their country,
as some of the European Powers have done, but,
if possible, wish to give them such help as will
make them a strong and self-governing nation.
On my return to the Hong-Eong and Shanghai
Bank from my audience with Li-Himg-'Chang, I
found two missionaries, Mr. Stonehouse and Mr.
Bees, waiting to see me. The following is a sum-
mary of the information given me by Mr. Bees in
regfi^ to missions in a district within two hundred
miles of Pekin.
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BELIGIOUS BELIEFS • 46
BBUGION
As a ralei the Chinese oare very little for their
gods/ and seldom pray to them except in time of
trouble. Mr. Bees on one occasion happened to
meet in the temple a man whose mother was
serionsly ill. He vowed to the god that if his
mother was cured he would pay so much money to
the temple. This man was fifty years of age, had a
large family, and had not won^pped before this
occasion for eighteen years. Mr. Bees gave another
instance of Chinese seeking the assistance of their
gods in the following anecdote of a man he met
sixteen years ago. This man had propelled himself
on all fours from Peldn to Tsi-nan, in the Province
of Shantung, and back again, a distance of about 1,060
miles, to make a vow to a god that he would pay
all he possessed if his father was cured of a certain
disease called Tanza (paralysis). The Chinese spend
enormous sums of money in superstitious obser-
vances, and in Mr. Bees's district (Chi-Chou) the
usual subscription for each family to the local bonzes
is about 10 tiao (IO5.) per year.
At Chi-Chou there were 1,500 converts, the
result of twelve years' worki Last year the number
of Christian churches built by the natives was 44.
The majority of the people are small farmers own-
ing from 2 to 8 mow of land per family (6 mow
equals 1 acre).
Last year Mr. Bees baptised about 800 in his
church, who contributed 2«» 2d. a head, in addition
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46 CHINA AND THB PBESENT GBISIS
to which they supported schools. One man about
65 years of age, with neither wife, family, nor
relatives, employed as a scavenger, who had saved
in five or six years the sum of 32^., gave the whole
amount to the new church.
The Chinese women are more devotional than
the men. It is with the former that the hope of the
Church lies. Mrs. Bees has about 250 Chinese
women under her charge. The Chinese men osten-
sibly look down upon the women, but, after all,
the latter control the families.
Mr. Bees mentioned cm interesting story told
by one of his deacons about the penance done by a
Chinese member of a secret society. This society
is known as the ' One Piece Incense.' The un-
fortunate member had knelt on chains for two hours
a day for eighteen years, and, of course, was crippled
for life.
On one occasion an official invited himself to
stay with Mr. Bees for three days to discuss
Christianity. His chief topic was the immortality
of the soul, and he was also convinced that one wife
was the correct thing. As a result of the discussion
he resigned office and retired to his ancestral home,
saying he could not be an official and a Christian at
the same time.
Ancestiral worship is general all over the country.
During the first moon and a certain day in the
second moon every family worships at the family
altar and the family grave, and this practice may be
said to be almost universal.
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THE BOXEBS 47
SBOBBT SOOIBTIBS
The members of a Seoret Society called the
' United Boxers/ in a fight with Catholics, killed
seven. They also attacked the London Mission,
which was surrounded by about 300 of them.
When the converts heard of it, over 100 of them
collected all the arms they could find to defend the
mission. They put all the ladies and children in
one house, where they were kept for three days and
nights. The mission claimed the protection of the
local official, but this was refused. An appeal was
then made to the Consul in Tientsin, and the Vice-
roy sent a special commissioner. It appeared that the
leader of the gang was a cousin of the local official.
And this explained why the latter was unwilling to act.
The officials are almost bound to retain for their
own use some portion of the revenue passing through
their hands. Mr. Bees said the G-ovemor of his
county receives a salary of only 180Z. per annum,
but his establishment costs at least 6,000Z. per annum,
and the difference is raised by extortion.
Officials are paid in taels. The tael in this district
is equivalent to 2,000 copper cash, but the official
charges 6,100 copper cash per tad. The people have
to pay in copper cash, the difference going into the
official's pocket. The Governor gave 20,000 taels in
order to get the appointment. It is difficult to learn
much about the Chinese in cities. Mr. Bees said he
learnt more in six months in the country than he
did in six years in Pekin.
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48 OHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
MB. HILLIBB
Mr. Hillier, the manager of the Hong-Eong and
Shanghai Bank in Pekin, who has been in China for
many yearsi is said to speak the language like a
native. He enjoys the confid^ce of many of the
most enlightened and able Chinamen to an unusual
extent, and has channels of information which make
him one of the best-informed men as to what is
actually transpiring from day to day in Pekin. He
informed me that it is undoubted that a defensive
alliance between Japan and China v^as almost
brought about. The Empress Dowager, who was
at one time favourable to Bussia, became alarmed
by their excessive demands. She and Prince Ching
were in favour of seeking the co-operation of Japan
in the maintenance of their mutual interests as
against Bussia. The eunuchs and certain Manchus
who share the ' squeezes ' which are obtainable as
things now stand, strongly opposed. This opposi-
tion, and the distinct intimation to the Chinese
Qovemment by Bussia that they would regard such
an alliance as an unfriendly act, which would surely
be followed with serious consequences to China,
caused the negotiations to fall through.
Mr. Hillier held very strong views as to the
disastrous effect upon British interests in China
which had followed the want of a firm and definite
policy unswervingly pursued on the part of the
Britiish Government. He regarded the loss bf
prestige and influence with the Chinese Government
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A MBM POLICY 49
as the result of a succession of humiliating
surrenders. He was of opinion that the adoption
of a firm and vigorous policy, in concert if ppssible
with those powers who do not desire the partition
of China, is imperatively necessary if the position is
to be retrieved.
B
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50 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
CHAPTER m
BRITISH TEADB AND BRITISH NEGLECT
IN CHINA
On Augost 31 1 left Fekm for Tientsin.
BKGLISH SBTTIiBMENT, TIBHTSIK
The English settlement of Tientsin has a muni-
cipal cooncil which looks after sanitary affairs, light-
ing, etc., exactly as at home. The freehold of the
settlement is the property of the British Crown,
which has merely granted leases to the present occu-
piers. In sixty years' time, unless the leases are
renewed, the whole of the palatial property within
the settlement will belong to the British Govern-
ment without any payment on its part. The
Britishers have, therefore, come out to this far-
away part of the earth and settled upon land actually
belonging to the British Government. The residents
are very enterprising. They have taxed themselves
not only with the cost of providing a public garden
and the erection of a commodious town hall, but
they are also subscribing a large sum of money for
the purpose of deepening the Pei Biver by closing
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TBADB OF TIENTSIN 61
Qp ntunerous canals. One great hindrance to trade
at Tientsin is the bar at the month of the river.
This could easily be removed, bnt the Chinese
Government object on the ground that it is a
protection against the entrance of foreign ships of
war.
TBADB OF TIENTSIN
The total value of the trade of Tientsin in 1898
was 10,945,0082. 18^.
The net total of the foreign imports, which in-
clude very large quantities of British goods — the
products of British labour — in 1898 amounted to
4,886,9272. 28.
The tonnage of vessels entered and cleared in
1896 was 1,877,116 tons. Out of this, British
shipping amoxmted to no less than 571,486 tons.
Yet I was assured by every man I met in Tientsin,
regardless of political parties -and the principal
merchants there all met me at dinner on my arrival
-^that the British G-ovemment are not supporting
and maintaining British rights and interests in
North China. They stated that our prestige and
influence with the Chinese Government — which
was all-powerful only five years ago — ^has vanished.
To-day the only chance of a British subject securing
the redress of a grievance or the settlement of a dis-
pute is to pay some foreigner to take over the trans-
action and deal with the Chinese Government
through the representative here of their own nation.
The merchants of Tientsin are perfectly prepared
B 2
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62 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
to constraot a railway from Pekin to Ealgan,
through the Nan-Eon PasS) whioh is the principal
outlet through a range of mountains from Mongolia
and Ean Suh, by which the wool, skins, and general
produce can be brought to Tientsin. In return
Manchester piece goods and other British manu-
factures would be taken. Oxur merchants informed
the British authorities of their desire to under-
take this work, only to be told that Bussia
objected, as Kalgan was on the Great Wall. The
Anglo-Bussian Agreement proposed to deal with
Manchuria only, but I find that in reality it ex-
cludes the British, and hands over to the Bussians
not only Manchuria but Mongolia, a huge tract in
the Province of Chihli and the Province of Sin Eiang
or Eastern Turkestan. This enormous surrender of
British trade rights and interests has been made
without our receiving what could be considered
compensating advantages in other directions. I can
only conclude that, as in the case of Sin-Ming-Ting,
the knowledge of geography on the part of the
Foreign Office was so defective that they were
unaware of what Bussia was obtaining under the
expression ' North of , the Great Wall of China *
when they allowed these words to be inserted in the
agreement in substitution for the one word Man-
churia — which was the sphere named by Bussia
when the negotiations began.
Our Government do not appear to have even asked
for the recognition by Bussia of similar preferential
rights for England in Thibet, which is the only
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BUSSIAN INTBiaUES 68
territory now intenrening between the Bossian
sphere and our Indian Empire.
The declared object of the Anglo-Bossian Agree-
ment was to avoid cause of conflict where the
interests of Bussia and England meet in China, and
yet no provision whatever is made in it in regard to
the enormous area south of the Great Wall and
north of the Yang-tsze basin.
It accords Bossia the exclusive right to construct
railways north of the Great Wall and professes to
confer a similar exclusive right on England in the
Yang-tsze basin, but the agreement had already been
broken by Bussia's still concealed although well-
known interest in the^ Pekin-Hankow Line, which
will penetrate right down into the heart of the Yang-
tsze basin.
BUSSIAN INTBiaUEB
During the day of my arrival I had interviews
with the British Consul and various merchants, and
in the evening I met Mr. Kinder, the chief engineer
of the Newchwang Bailway Extension Line, whose
djgmisflal the Bussians have worked so hard to secure.
He is being intrigued and plotted against both at
home and abroad by Bussian agents, for, with his
removal, the hindraiices to the absorption of the
Newchwang Extension Line, which is being con-
structed with British capital, would be practically
gone. The acquisition of this railway would give
Bussia control not only of Manchuria, but of Pekin
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64 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT C3EISIS
and the whole North of China, and enable her to
strangle British trade.
Mr. Kinder tells me that the whole of the rails
regnired for the railways under his management come
from England and Scotland, as well as the locomo-
tives — ^when our manufacturers can undertake to
execute his orders— and thousands of wheels and
axles are made in Sheffield by the Patent Shaft and
Axle Co., Peach Steel and Tozer, and the Low
Moor Company.
TBEP UP SHAN-HAI-KWAN-NBWOHWANO BAILWAY
Septevnher 1. — ^I left Tientsin this morning in a
private car on a three days' expedition up the rail-
way which is being built by British capital north of
Shan-hai-Kwan. My host, Mr. Cousins, saw me off
and made most kind arrangements in the matter of
provisioning, for there were no hotels in the district
through which I was going, and we had to take our
supplies of food with us. The first stopping-place
after leaving Tong-ku was Lutai.
At and around Lutai is a large Chinese military
camp. Each regiment had a distinct camp enclosed
by mud walls, around which gay flags were flying,
the flags of each regiment being different in colour
and design. As the Chinese Q^neral — ^Yang — ^was
leaving by the train, guns were fired on his depar-
ture, and a crowd of officers escorted him to the
platform. The men were of splendid physique,
and looked equal to anything if they were only
properly trained and armed. I took several snap-
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GOAL MINES 55
shots of them with my kodak, which they quite
enjoyed. The ofGioers stood in a row facing the
reserved car which the General occupied. He came
out on to the platform before the train left, and the
officers gave the * kow-tow,' that is, bowed down
so that their heads practically touched their knees,
repeatedly to him. The General acknowledged the
salutations in the same fashion. He was on his way
to Einchow to dear the country of bands of robbers
known as ' hung-hood-se ' (redbeards). It is said
that these robbers are the best fighting men in
Ohina, and that they can beat overwhelming numbers
of troops.
GOAL MINXNG IN CHINA
Thirty miles further on we came to Tongshan,
the district where magnesian limestone shows itself
and under which are coal measures. The Kaiping
collieries close by are the principal collieries of China.
They produced 732,000 tons in 1898. At the
Tongshan Mines the output was 470,000 tons, whilst
at Linsi Colliery, about twelve miles away, 262,000
tons were brought to bank — making a total of
1,464,000 tons. The output of the Kaiping Collieries
has gone down very much this year (1899) owing to the
mines having been robbed previously. They have had
a great influx of water, which is likely to cause serious
difficulties. The greater part of the coal they pro-
duce is so inferior in quality that Mr. Einder — the
chief engineer of the railways — ^has been trying to
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66 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT CRISIS
get consent to use Cardiff coal, at any rate for the
express trains.
At Tongshan there are railway works, where
they make their own carriages and put together
locomotiYes and other engineering work im-
ported.
Chnng-hou-So, which is forty miles outside the
Great Wall of China, through which the railway
passes, is 214 miles from Tientsin. The country
traversed is practically level ; there is not a single
tunnel. The railway track was in excellent order, and
the travelling most comfortable. The plain on each
side of the railway the whole way was covered with
excellent crops of what the Chinese call ' kaoliang ' — a
kind of millet, also known as brown rice. It grows
often ten to twelve feet high. The grain is the
principal food of the people. The stalks, which
partake of the nature of bamboo, are used for a
variety of purposes, including fencing, roofing of
houses, etc. ; whilst the roots are dried and used as
fuel. The kaoliang was in all its harvest glory, and
stretching as it did for miles and miles under brilliant
sunshine, the rich brown golden shades were very
beautiful. The plain has a background of fine
broken rocky hills, which adds greatly to the beauty
and picturesqueness of the scenery. The inhabitants
also grow beans, sweet potatoes, indigo, and tobacco,
whilst near Chang-li is a rich fruit-growing district,
producing in the open air excellent grapes, apples,
apricots, peaches, and plums.
At Chang-li a crowd of fruit vendors besieged the
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BAILWAT MATERIAL 67
train, and three to four pounds of excellent grapes
were obtainable for 2^d.
There were here and there isolated hills rising
up ont of the plain, the strata of which was tilted
at a considerable angle — evidently due to volcanic
action.
At Lang Chou we crossed a splendidly con-
structed iron railway bridge over 700 yards in length.
The whole of the girders for this and other bridges
on this railway have come from England and Scot-
land. Some people say that it does not matter
whether the railways are constructed in China by
Britishers or by Bussians, French or Germans. It
is only, however, in the case of this railway over
which I was travelling, and which is being laid
down with British capital, that the products of
British labour can be employed, but this is only
done if they can be got on as favourable terms
from England as from other nations. We thus
deal justly by the Chinese people in enabling them
to buy what they require in the best and cheapest
market — in marked contrast to the action of Bussia,
France, and Germany, who insist upon having the
railways for which they have obtained concessions,
constructed entirely of materials bought from the
country of the concessionnaires irrespective of
whether or not they can be obtained more cheaply
elsewhere.
Most of the officials superintending the construc-
tion of the extension part of the line, and working
the portion already opened, are Britishers. The
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68 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT C3EISIS
engine-drivers of express trains are also British, and
receive 18Z. a month wages. If the ohief engineer
had a free hand he would employ many more British
engine drivers, but the Chinese Government prevent
this. The Bnssians, French, and Germans have
in connection with the railways they lay down
absolute control both in the construction and in
the working of the lines after they are completed,
and can employ as many of their own countrymen
as they choose on the railway as engine-drivers
or otherwise.
Lord Salisbury allowed the terms which were
imposed upon us in connection with the New-
chwang Extension Bailway to be dictated by Bussia,
who, on the other hand, enjoys in connection with
the railways she is building absolute power to do
whatever she pleases.
Nearly all the towns passed were surrounded by
high stone walls, turreted on the top.
At Shan-hai-Kwan we saw the Great Wall of
China, stretching right up over precipitous mountains
1,000 to 1,500 feet high. It seems almost incredible
that it could have been constructed.
On reaching Chung-hou-So, the furthermost
point north to which the railway is yet opened for
passenger traffic, I was conveyed on a trolly two
miles further up the line to the house of the resident
engineer (Mr. Newmarch) . The trolly was propelled
at a remarkable speed by four Chinamen, who stood
on it working handles which were attached to the
wheels by a crank shaft. When we came to an
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PBI-TAI-HO 69
obstraction on the line they lifted the trolley bodily
off and carried it past the block. While doing so
they uttered mnsical cries in order to mark time
so that they might keep step. Chinamen invariably
adopt this custom in their vocations. I dined with
the Newmarches ; the nearest European to them lives
fifteen miles away, so that they don't often have
visitors, and naturally that made my welcome all
the warmer. After dinner I returned to my com-
fortable railway car at the station, and at six o'clock
the next morning started on the return journey. It
was quite cold in the night, and in the morning
the crisp air felt very much the same as it does
at home on a September morning. '
PBI-TAI-HO
On reaching Pei-tai-ho I found a ' chit ' from Mr.
Mackintosh, the manager of the Hong-Kong and
Shanghai Bank at Tientsin, placing a pony and a
boy at my disposal. I first rode over to Bocky Point,
five miles away — the new Eastern Settlement at the
edge of the sea. This and the Western Settlement
have sprung up in the last three years. There are
quite a number of pretty villas, to which Europeans
come in the hot weather, to enjoy the fresh sea
breezes. It was a most delightful ride along a track
lined by magnificent crops of ripe millet or kaoliang,
with an occasional cluster of trees and a picturesque
hamlet of Chinese houses. The inhabitants were
busily engaged threshing out grain by what was to
me a new method. They form a level floor of mud^
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60 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
which dries as hard as cement ; this is covered with
ears of grain, and a stone roller drawn round and
round by a donkey on the top of the grain squeezes
it out of the ears. They were also grinding the
grain ready for making it into food by revolving a
stone roller over a flat millstone, instead of revolving
a flat millstone on another flat millstone.
BABON VON EBTTBLEB
I first called upon the German Minister, Baron
Von Ketteler, who received me most courteously. We
had an interesting talk on the situation in China, in
the course of which reference was made, with mutual
satisfaction, to the fact that the Gtermans and
English have arranged to jointly construct the Tien-
tsin-Chin Eiang Bailway. Baron Von Ketteler
also assured me of his desire that the relations
between England and Germany should grow more
and more friendly, and that the two nations might
be able to co-operate in furtherance of our mutual
interests, not only in the Far East but elsewhere.
His sympathies, next to the Teutonic race, he said,
were strongly Anglo-Saxon. He expressed the
opinion that, in order to give any chance of the
creai^on in China of a strong and independent
government, it would be necessary, in the first
place, to put an end to the corruption and bribery
which is almost universal amongst the ofGicial classes.
I suggested that it was desirable that Germany
should, in addition to developing the Province of
Shantung, also include in her sphere the whole
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SIB BOBEBT HABT 61
watershed of the Yellow Biver. I explained that 1
did not mean that the country should be taken from
the Chinese, but that they should be assisted in the
development of it for the mutual advantage of the
Chinese and of other nations.
SIB BOBEBT HABT
I then rode a further three miles along the sea
coast westward to the residence of Sir Bobert Hart,
the head of the Imperial Chinese Customs, who gave
me a cordial welcome and insisted on my being his
guest. Sir Bobert Hart had been more than forty
years in China as the head of the one department
which is free from corruption, and which pays into the
Chinese Exchequer the full amount of the duties col-
lected on foreign imports. He spoke in the highest
terms of the Chinese, and is absolutely devoted to
their interests. He favoured the collection of likin
by his department, provided arrangements were made
for the proper pajrment of Chinese officials, and for
the provincial treasuries receiving an adequate pro-
portion of the revenues. Should, as seems only
too probable, the Chinese have murdered their loyal
friend and old faithful servant, they will be guilty of
an act of the basest ingratitude.
CHIN WANG TAO
There is a point on the coast of the Gulf of
Pechili, about twelve miles from Pei-tai-ho, Ching
wan tao, which the British Government got opened
as a treaty port, proclaiming this as a most important
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62 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
achievement in the interests of British commerce.
To my astonishment, however, If omid there neither
port nor natmral harhoor, and no resident population
whatever. It is merely an open bay surrounded by
sandbanks. There are some who say it will prove
an open-all-the-year-round port, whilst Newchwang
and Tientsin are frozen up several months in the
year, and that collieries will be opened close by, the
produce of which will be shipped there.
PBI-TAI-HO TO TONO-KU
The next morning I started at 6.30 and had a
most enjoyable ride on a donkey over the hills and
through the millet fields to Pei-tai-ho station, and
at one o'clock was at Tong-Eu, ready to go on
board whatever steamer was available for Chefoo.
On the way down we again took in supplies of fruit
at Chang-U, and I got a party of four Europeans who
were in the train into my car. We ' pooled ' our
respective provisions and had quite an enjoyable
luncheon party. The climate of this district, I learn,
is one of the best in the world, and certainly the
Europeans looked in splendid health, and the
Chinese themselves are a sturdy, active race. The
more I see of the Chinese the better I like them.
A LTJCKT CHOICB
On arrival at Tong-Ku, the Chinese compradores
of both Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co. and Messrs.
Butterfield & Swire met me at the station to give
me their assistance in embarking on board their
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BIVAL COMFBADOBES 68
respeotive steamers. The arrangement had been
that I should take the first steamer, and this I could
not decide un^ I got the information from the
captains. I went on board the nearest boat, Messrs.
Jardine & Matheson's 'El Dorado/ first, and had
not been there more than five minutes when a tug
boat arrived alongside with Messrs. Butterfield &
Swire's comprador on board, amdous to take me off
to the * Chung King,' bag and baggage. It was quite
amusing to see the alertness of these men, and
their determination, if possible, to induce me to
travel by the particular steamer in which they were
interested. It was a fair sample of the commercial
qualities of the Chinaman. As both steamers were
leaving by the same tide, and I had made the
acquaintance of Captain TampUn, a most excellent
and trustworthy officer, I decided to remain on board
the ' El Dorado.' We started about midnight, and
were only able to cross the Taku bar by ploughing
a furrow at least a foot deep through the soft mud.
The weather had been delightfully fine up to the
time of starting, but a sudden squall came on and
both ship, passengers, and baggage were pitched
about unmercifully for several hours. The next day
the sea went down rapidly, and with perfect weather
we made good progress.
I had, I am afraid, a sense of satisfaction in the
selection of the boat which I had made on hearing
that the other steamer had stuck fast upon the Taku
bar and been left twelve hours behind.
We reached Chef oo safely, where I disembarked.
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64 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CRISIS
CHAPTER IV
A VISIT TO WBIHAI^WEI
Messes. Jaedine, Matheson, & Co.'s agent at Che-
f 00 very kindly agreed that the ' El Dorado ' — ^which
was stsorting in a few hours for Shanghai — should go
into Wei-hai-Wei and put me ashore. Our Consul
(Mr. Sundyus) was kind enough to telegraph to Capt.
Gaunti the Commissioner at Wei-hai-Wei, to expect
me. The weather was perfect, and we had a most
delightful run of a little over four hours along the coast
to Wei-hai-Wei. We passed through the western
deep-water inlet into the wide bay within. It was
sunset— the lights and shades and colouring of the
bay and the hills around were most beautiful.
When about an hour oflf Wei-hai-Wei, we saw a
curious storm whirling over that place, and on
landing I learnt there had been a remarkable
waterspout. It was estimated to be at least 1,000
feet high, and 100 feet in diameter. We came
closer into the shore than when I passed Wei-hai-
Wei bound for Chefoo, and I now discovered that
there were considerable fishing villages along the
coast, and that the land, which is cultivated in
terraces, is more fertile than I had imagined.
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THE KOWSHING AFPAIE 66
AN INOIDBNT 6f THB OHINO-JAPANESB WAB
Capt. Tamplin of the ' El Dorado ' was first officer
on board the British steamer 'Kowshing/ which
was sunk by the Japanese, with 1,500 soldiers on
board, as practically the first act of war on the part
of Japan. This was done although the ' Kowshing '
was flying the British flag, after she had been given
an opportunity to surrender. The captain, knowing
there was no escape, was prepared to surrender, but
the Chinese soldiers on board would not allow it.
They preferred that the ship should be sunk and
their lives lost there and then, rather than be sub-
jected to the tortures which they themselves are in
the habit of inflicting upon prisoners, and which
they imagined would be their fate if they fell alive
into the hands of the Japanese. Capt. Tamplin
told us that the ' Kowshing ' was not torpedoed, as
has been currently reported, but sunk by shot and
shell. The captain himself and General Von Han-
neken were the only European survivors. They
saved their lives by plunging into the sea and
swimming to the Japanese man-of-war. Whilst
they were thus endeavouring to escape, the Chinese
soldiers on board their own steamer tried to shoot
them, under the impression that their capture had
been effected through the bribery of the British
officers by the Japanese. The claim which was
made by the British Government on the Chinese
Government for the value of the steamer and for
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66 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT 0BI8IS
compensation for the Britishers on board who lost
their lives or property has not yet been paid.
WBI-HAI-WBI
The * El Dorado ' dropped anchor directly oppo-
site Capt. Gkinnt's (the Commissioner's) residence,
which is in a picturesque and attractive square
of buildings, with several courtyards inside. These
were used by the Chinese when in occupation of this
place as the Naval Beception Yamen.
The Chinese town of Wei-hai-Wei is on the
mainland, and it is on the inland side of the island
Liu-Kung-tau ('tau' being Chinese for island),
which is two and a quarter miles long and three-
quarters of a mile in width, that the new Wei-hai-
Wei is situated. At the western end of this island
is one inlet into Wei-hai-Wei harbour, which is
one and a quarter miles wide. In this is the deep-
water channel, with nine to seventeen fathoms of
water, 600 to 700 yards in width.
At the eastern end of the island is the other
entrance to the harbour, about two and a half miles
across, with an average depth of twenty-ojae feet at
low water of ordinary summer-spring tides, and a
foot or two more when there is an ordinary summer
tide. It is a curious fact that in the winter the
water is two or three feet lower than in summer.
It is this broad entrance, perfectly accessible to
torpedo boats at any point, which makes Wei-hai-
Wei comparatively useless as a naval base, unless an
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A VISIT TO WBI-HAI-WBI 67
enormooB breakwater be constructed, at a cost,
possibly, of two or three million pounds sterling, to
reduce the width of the entrance, so that it can be
readily and effectually defended against an enemy.
A QUESTION FOB THE NAVAL AUTHOBITIES
When we remember that Bussia's great naval
base at Port Arthur is only eighty-five miles away,
it will be clear that Wei-hai-Wei will be too much
at her mercy if left in its present condition. The
question facing the naval authorities at home is
whether they are prepared to spend the money
necessary to make it into an impregnable first-<)lass
naval base, or leave the object for which they took
it unattained. Any expenditure thai did not accom-
plish this would be merely money wasted.
On the island and the neighbouring shores of
the mainland there are a number of forts, from
which the Japanese removed all the guns when
they evacuated the place. Though we have been in
possession of Wei-hai-Wei for the last fifteen months
(1899), not a single gun has been mounted; and,
indeed, none of the other works which are required,
if it is to be made even a secondary naval base,
have yet been commenced. No attempt has been
made to repair the substantial iron pier, half of
which is in excellent order, and the colunms of the
remaining half all in position, waiting only for
the upper part to be fixed to xnake a necessary and
serviceable landing-stage. Were this done, steamers
f2
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68 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CRISIS
drawing np to twenty-five feet of water could safely
go alongside.
CHINESE TBOOPS
The only practical step of a defensive character
that seems to have been taken has been the enrol-
ment by Colonel Bower of 300 Chinese soldiers, who
are rapidly being trained into smart, well-drilled
troops. They are quartered on the mainland, about
four miles across the bay. I went over to see Colonel
Bower, and was taken round the barracks. The
men were mustered, so that I might take some
snapshots with my kodak, in order to show my
friends at home. These soldiers are paid eight
dollars (Mexican) a month, in addition to rations.
At the end of the month, when they received
their money in full, without anything being de-
ducted by the paymaster for what is known in
China as ' squeeze,' they were greatly astonished.
As the news of this unusual treatment spread, the
number of recruits applying multiplied.
Commissioner Gaunt very kindly placed his
steam launch at my disposal, and I was able to get
about the bay, and see everything.
I visited also the walled-in Chinese town of
Wei-hai-Wei, which is on the mainland, and has
about 5,000 inhabitants. The houses are of stone
with excellent tiled roofs.
There are hot sulphur springs of a temperature
of about eighty deg., with baths kept in excellent
order.
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A SMALL POLICE FOBCB 69
THB ENGLISH SPHBBB
The English ' sphere ' is ten miles inland from
the shores of the harboxir, and a great mistake has
been made in leaving this Chinese town — in our
sphere — under Chinese jurisdiction. A short time
ago Chinese soldiers pursued a Chinaman through
British territory and killed him in the sea. It was
alleged that he was a deserter. All attempts to
secure the arrest of the officer who was at the head
of these Chinese soldiers have failed by reason of the
weakness of the British Bepresentative at Pekin,
who wishes to accept the excuses of the Yamen,
and to let the matter drop.
This increases enormously the difficulties of the
Commissioner, who is expected to keep order and
to protect life and property in our Wei-hai-Wei
territory — an area of 300 square miles and con-
taining a population of nearly 300,000 souls, with a
force of ten Chinese policemen under an English
superintendent.
Included in what is leased to us is Shi-tao Bay,
with splendid fisheries, also quarries from which any
quantity of excellent red granite can be obtained.
In addition to the territory thus acquired we
enjoy the right of moving troops up to 121 deg.
40 min. longitude, and of er^ting barracks and
hospitals.
The Wei-hai-Wei harbour covers about 20 square
miles — ^it varies in width from 4 to 4^ miles. The
deep-water portion,, 6 to 10 fathoms, is, however.
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70 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CRISIS
only about 700 square yards. A dredger is at work
increasing the deep-water area, and as the mud is
very soft it is not anticipated that there will be any
serious difficulty in accomplishing this. A deep-
water dock could be easily made at a moderate cost.
HOSPITALITY AFLOAT
I went on board H.M.'s first-class cruiser
* Aurora/ to pay my respects to Post-Captain Bailey.
I also called on Lieutenant Cowper, commanding
H.M.'s gunboat ' Plover,' and he very kindly agreed
that I might go back with him in the ' Plover ' to
Chefoo the next day.
Captain Gaunt invited the captain of the Italian
man-of-war which was then at Wei-hai-Wei, also
the British naval and military officers, to meet me at
tiffin, and in the evening we all went to dine with
Post-Captain Bailey on board the ' Aurora.' Captain
Bailey is a fine specimen of a breezy, hearty British
sailor. He reminded me of Lord Charles Beresford.
His hospitality was of the most generous description,
and, when we had in addition an excellent band of
music on a deck closed in all round v^ith gay flags
of all nations, and brilliantly lighted with electric
light, one felt that even right away in the Far East
one had not got beyond the bounds of civilisation or
of pleasant social life.
Before dinner Captain Gaunt and I mounted
ponies, and had an hour's scamper round the island,
in the course of which we saw the shooting ranges,
which are of the most complete description.
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MOUBNINQ FOB ANCESTOBS 71
We met a procession of men uttering loud
lamentations, followed by a small procession of
women with white garments over their heads. I
thought that they were mourners who were sorrow-
ing for the loss of some loyed one, and was surprised
to learn that they were really mourning aloud for
ancestors, some of whom had died 100 or even 200
years ago.
The Commissioner had bought up a number of
graves, and this was the ceremonial attending the
removal of their departed ancestors to a new resting-
place. The worship of their ancestors seems to
have the strongest hold upon the Chinese and forms
the salient feature in their religion.
At 6.30 A.M. the next morning I was on the top of
Centurion Hill— 500 feet high, which is the highest
point in the island— and had a glorious view of the
whole harbour and of the British zone on the main-
land, which contains some fine hills, rising up to
an altitude of 1,600 feet, v^ith rich valleys in-
tervening.
BAILWAT COMMUNICATION
Mr. Balfour, unasked by Gterraany, telegraphed
the Gterman Government when we took Wei-hai-Wei
that we had no intention of connecting this place
by railway with the province of Shantung. I
characterised this as a fatuous act, whereupon Mr.
Balfour retorted that the construction of a railway
from Wei-hai-Wei into the interior of Shantung was
a physical impossibility. I wished the other day
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72 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
when at Wei-hai-Wei that I had had Mr. BalfoTU
with me and been able to show him that a railway
could be made to connect Wei-hai-Wei with Chef oo,
a distance of sixty miles, without haying to surmount
any rising ground of an elevation of more than
100 feet. The fact is, that the Britishers out here
are perfectly prepared to find the money to build a
light railway at once, but the pledge that Mr. Balfour
gave to Germany prevents it.
The harbour at Chef oo is very exposed, and often
ships can neither load nor unload for days together,
whereas, on the other hand, the splendidly sheltered
anchorage of the great Wei-hai-Wei harbour would
allow work to proceed even in the roughest weather.
POSSIBILITIES OF TBADE
The Province of Shantung is well populated. In
addition to the traffic that would be diverted from
Chef 00 to Wei-hai-Wei, there is room for an enormous
development of trade with the interior of the province,
and at least two other railways could be built into
the interior in other directions to tap this trade
without encountering seripus engineering difficulties.
Were it not for the bungling of Her Majesty's
Government, Wei-hai-Wei might have become an
important commercial port, and the revenues thus
derived would have justified all necessary expendi-
ture, requisite both from a commercial and a naval
standpoint. The statement of Her Majesty's
Government that Wei-hai-Wei could not be made a
commercial port is quite contrary to the fact, and it
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PBOFOSED ANGLO-QEBMAN ABBANQEMENT 78
only shows the loss and disadvantage of having onr
vast commercial interests in the hands of so neglect-
ftd a Qovemment.
TRANSFBB OF WBI-HAI-WBI TO GBBUANY
Having debarred ourselves from making Wei-hai-
Wei into a conamercial port, I am still of the opinion,
which I expressed in the House of Conunons, that
the sooner we hand it over to the Germans the
better, and allow them to construct a railway to
connect it with Chef oo.
Of course^ we should in making this arrangement
obtain a definite and binding undertaking from the
German Government that British trade should enjoy
equal rights and privileges with German trade
throughout their sphere of influence in China. As
a further condition of our handing over Wei-hai- Wei
to them, it would be necessary to have an acknowledg-
ment of similar preferential rights and privileges in
our favour in the Yang-tsze basin to those they
enjoy in Shantung, and an understanding that we
should have their support in taking a suitable second
naval base at or near the mouth of the Yang-tsze
Eiver in place of Wei-hai-Wei.
Captain Gaunt went on board H.M.S. * Plover '
to see me off, and Captain Bailey also came to
say 'good-bye/ The weather was perfect, and
we had a most delightful passage back to Chefoo.
The ' Plover ' was bringing up the mail to Chefoo
for despatch to England. When on duty of this sort
she only steams eig^t knots an hour, with an ex-
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74 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OEISIS
penditnre of coal of about one ton for every thirty
miles steamed in moderate or fine weather. They
use Welsh coal on the ' Plover ' and our other ships of
war, and English north country coal for the dredger
in Wei-hai-Wei harbour.
The brass fittings on board the ' Plover * were
like a looking-glass ; the gtins and everything on
board were spotless. Captain Cowper was very kind
in explaining the mechanism of the guns, and in
giving me other interesting information.
We anchored off Chefoo about 6 p.m., and the
captain sent me ashore in his gig, afterwards joining
me at dinner at the British Consul's.
I am now waiting for a chance to get to Port
Arthur. There are rumours of plague, typhoid, and
dysentery raging in the place, and the steamer that
goes there every other day has been stopped by the
Bussian Government for some reason of their own.
It therefore remains to be seen whether I shall not
be prevented paying my intended visit to the place
which, of all others, has been the most heard of in
connection with recent events in the Far East.
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76
CHAPTEB y
A VISIT TO PORT ABTHUB
I WAS not disappointed of my visit to the key of the
situation in North China, viz. Port Arthur. After
a delay of two days I got a passage on one of the
China Merchant Co.'s steamers, the ' Ewangchi/ of
about 400 tons. The vessel had no cargo on board,
and we had a terrible pitching on the passage over
the eighty-five miles of the Gulf of Pechili, which
stretches from Chefoo to Port Arthur. The journey
occupied ten hours instead of eight, in consequence
of the bad weather.
SEIZURE BY RUSSIA
It will be remembered that until this great
fortress was seized by Bussia in 1898, we had,
under treaty with China, the right to send our ships
of war there whenever we desired to do so, and to
enjoy equal rights and privileges with the Bussians.
At the close of the Chino-Japanese War, Bussia,
France, and Germany compelled Japan to evacuate
Port Arthur, which she had captured. Bussia's
objection was that if allowed to remain there Japan
would be a constant menace to the Government at
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76 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
Pekiiiy and yet within two years she seized Port
Arthur herself. At the time when Bussia took
possession (March 1898) she had only eleven
fighting ships on this coast, whilst we had a mag-
nificent force of twenty-four lying in the Gulf of
Pechili, close to Port Arthur, as every one supposed
for the purpose of upholding British rights. I have
it on the highest authority that had England then
expressed a firm determination to maintain her rights
equally with Bussia in Port Arthur, that nation
would have withdrawn her ships without firing a
shot. Nothing astonished the Bussians so much ad
the withdrawal of our ships from Port Arthur in
response to their protest, and that they should have
been allowed by us to enter into possession of the
prize of the Far East, in a naval and military sense
without opposition. What our Government should
have done was to have kept our ships of war at Port
Arthur in accordance with our treaty rights, and
opened up friendly negotiations with Bussia with the
view of coming to a fair and equitable understanding
in regard to the whole situation in China.
POBT ABTHXTB
The coast to the right and left of the entrance to
Port Arthur is a series of clifb and bold hills up to
about 400 feet high. On the summit of each hill is
a strong fort, armed with heavy guns. There is
only one entrance, which is not more than 300 yards
wide, with a deep-water channel of about 200 yards.
On the right, the Gold Mountain rises almost per-
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A VISIT TO POET ABTHUE 77
pendicnlarly 400 feet, and is snrmoonted by an
enoimons fort. The bluff on the western side of
the entrance is also covered by formidable batteries.
Inside the bay, facing the entrance, there is a
further powerful battery, with six heavy disappear*
ing guns.
On anchoring, we were boarded by Bussian
officials, who declined to allow any European
passengers to disembark, on the ground that the
medical officer at Chefoo had omitted to enter them
in the ship's papers. I thereupon produced my
letter of introduction from Mons. de Giers to the
Governor of Port Arthur, and stated that I had
come for the purpose of visiting him, and wished to
pay my respects to His Excellency without delay.
This worked like mjigic. The medical officer re-
turned on shore instantly to report, and within a
very few minutes the harbour master arrived in a
beautiful steam launch, which the Admiral had
placed at my disposal during my visit to Port
Arthur. He said, as far as I was concerned, a
mistake had bjBen made, and was full of apologies
for the slight detention which had taken place.
The other European passengers, however, were pre-
vented disembarking for some considerable time.
On landing I went direct to the residence of
General Soubotitch, the governor, who spoke English
perfectly. He gave me a courteous welcome to
Port Arthur, remarking that he had been advised
of my intended visit by Mons. de Giers ; also, that
the Bussian Consul at Chefoo had wired him that I
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78 CfflNA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
had left for Port Arthur. He promised every facility
for seeing Port Arthur and the neighbourhood.
Within an hour he returned my call on board,
accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Lieut. Peresvett
Sultan, who was to show me round the place.
WEST POBT LAaOON
We first visited, by steam launch, a large lagoon
known as the West Port, which is separated from
the deep-water portion of Port Arthur by a very
narrow sandbank. This lagoon has a narrow
channel, with 2^ to 6 fathoms of water, and a large
area from ^ to ^ fathom deep. It can be cheaply
dredged, and has no current to cause it to silt up.
A deep-water area of one square mile can thus be
made. It is surrounded by fine hills. At the south
end of this there is a low-lying stretch of country
about 1^ miles across leading through to the sea, a
mile to the west of the present entrance into Port
Arthur. It is contemplated ultimately to cut a
channel to the sea through this, in order to have an
independent entrance into the commercial part of
the port. The weather was perfect —bright sunshine,
and cool fresh breezes. The contrast between the
new Eussian launch — in which we rapidly proceeded
from one point to another — and the old out-of-date
launch of the British Commissioner at Wei-hai-Wei
was most marked.
It is decided by the Gk>vemment of St. Peters-
burg that the commercial port in connection with
Port Ajrthur shall be situated on the north shore
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FOBTS AND DOCKS 79
of the West Port lagoon — a site in close proximity
to the terminus of the branch line which is already
constructed to connect Port Arthur with the Bussian-
Manchnrian Bailway, which has its principal termi-
nus at the Port of Tahenwan.
By this, however, it is not intended that it shall
be an open port or a treaty port, but only a port
through which commerce needed in connection with
the Bussian naval and military forces at Port
Arthur shall be carried on under Bussian control.
We next took a carriage, which was awaiting us,
and drove round the town and its vicinity. New
buildings are being erected everywhere, including
extensive barracks and officers' quarters.
Behind Port Arthur the country is also hilly, and
every hilltop is bristling with fortifications, guns
being mounted in all directions.
The deep water inside the entrance is limited in
extent, one basin being200 x 400 yards with a depth of
5f to8^ fathoms, and a second basin 100 x 200 with 5^
to 6^ fathoms. In addition to this there is a basin
known as East Port, which has been artificially
constructed, with a depth of about six fathoms, and
is capable of holding several ships of war. It is in
connection with this that the Chinese built the
valuable dry dock which came into the hands of the
Bussians when they took the place. They have
largely increased its size and have extensive repairing
and machine shops adjacent to it. Close by the East
Port basin is a sheet of shallow fresh water, which
can be easily converted into an additional dock.
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80 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OEISIS
STOPPED OUTSIDB THE BUSSIAN FOBTS
We left tbe carriage at the base of the Gold
Mountain and climbed it by a winding road up
which there runs a tramway used to convey water
and supplies to the fort. We proceeded without
interruption until we had passed two or three guns,
when we were challenged by a sentry. Lieut. Sultan
suddenly discovered that he hsid forgotten his pass,
and was very sorry that we should, therefore, not be
able to proceed further. How far this omission wcks
intentional or otherwise I won't express an opinion.
However, the result was that I did not manage to
get inside their fortifications.
There had been rumours of the seizure of Mas-
sampo on the Korean coast by Bussia; that this
had been followed by the mobilisation of the
Japanese forces, and that war was imminent
between Japan and Bussia. I saw, however, no
sign of any activity at Port Arthur which would
indicate that these rumours were true. I noticed also
that their stocks of coal were exceedingly low. The
place was, however, full of soldiers and sailors. Bussia
has 40,000 troops at Talienwan and Port Arthur.
Mr. A. Bostelman, manager of the Chinese
Eeistem Bailway Company's Marine Department,
called upon me. He inf oimed me that the railway
between Port Arthur and Talienwan, also up north
as far as Mukden — some 300 miles in all— will be
open in two months. The permanent bridges, how-
ever, will not be completed for some time. He
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RUSSIAN OPINIONS 81
states that in oonnection with his steamer depart-
ment he has at present no fewer than seven ships
nnder construction in England.
I was sorry to find that the trade at Port Arthur
is practically all done by Americans and Germans,
and that the British have hardly had a look in so far.
In the evening I dined with Gteneral Soubotitch.
His wife and Lieutenant Sultan joined us at dinner.
We had a most interesting conversation — the
Gteneral expressed liberal and enlightened views.
He said that he must admit that England's policy
had largely failed in China recently. He recognises
that the French have lost grotmd both as regards
influence and the respect felt towards them by other
nations over the Dreyfus case, and otherwise during
the last two or three years. General Soubotitch
stated he was very desirous that I should remain
two more days at Fort Arthur, promising that he
would give me a special permit to visit any of the
forts which I might desire to see, and also would
make special arrangements to have me conveyed by
steam launch to Talienwan, where I would be
shown everything. I much regretted that the
uncertainty of finding a steamer to get me down to
Shanghai in time to join Mr. Archibald Little in our
intended trip up the Yang-tsze prevented my
accepting this offer.
RUSSIAN DESIGNS AND BRITISH INACTION
During the day that I had spent there I had ob-
tained a good idea of the town and harbour and of
G
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89 OHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
the oomitry in close proximity to Port Arthur. I
had also seen quite sufficient of the fortifications to
show me condusiyely that the Bussians have abready
made the place practically impregnable, and are now
in a position to defend it against all comers. It
would be interesting to visit their forts, but not
being a military man, my opinion in regard to the
construction of their fortifications and the character
of the guns would have been practically valueless.
Amongst the drawbacks of Port Arthur is the
absence of good water. They have water, but it is
of a very indifferent quality, and insufficient in
quantity, and, as at Wei-hai-Wei, the bulk of the
water they use is condensed. The country at and
around Port Arthur is also destitute of trees, and is
very barren in appearance.
The Chinese town was in a filthy condition— it is
no wonder that disease is rife. Our steamer had
expected to bring back many Chinese coolies anxious
to get away from Bussian employment, but none
turned up. It was believed that this was due to
the Bussians preventing their leaving. They are
worked in gangs under Bussian soldiers, and I
am afraid are often subjected to brutal treatment.
I did not see any evidence of this myself, but I
am assured by those who are in a position to know
that the poor Chinese find the Bussians very hard
taskmasters, and that their labour cannot altogether
be considered free.
General Soubotitch undertook to get and send
me some photographs of Port Arthur and TaUenwan.
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TALIBNWAN 88
There is at present little to see at the latter place
except the bay. It has an entrance about five miles
wide, and the inside area of the bay opposite this
entrance is about six miles square, with water 5^ to
8 fathoms in depth. It is open and exposed to the
south only. Inside, however, and sheltered by a
promontory, is another bay known as Victoria Bay,
in which there is a depth of water of from 4 to 4}
fathoms over an area of two square miles. This it
is proposed shall be the commercial port.
The conviction forced upon me by what I saw at
Port Arthur and Newchwang is that Bussia has a
settled determination not only to remain at Port
Arthur but ultimately to annex at least the North of
China. On the other hand, the impression created
on my mind at Wei-hai-Wei was that our occupation
could hardly be regarded as serious, and might be
ended any day. Unfortunately, our withdrawal
would be regarded as further evidence of our weak-
ness, and would be another blow to our already
shattered prestige in this part of the world, be-
cause when we occupied it we made the stupid and
undiplomatic declaration that we intended to remain
at Wei-hai-Wei as long as Bussia remained at Port
Arthur. If the Government did not mean business
they should have left Wei-hai-Wei alone altogether,
and I have always held that they ought to have
occupied a place at or near the mouth of the Yang-
tsze Biver, where our trade interests are so pre-
dominant, instead of taking Wei-hai-Wei.
• t
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84 CHINA AND THE PEBSENT 0EISI8
CHAPTEE VI
AMBEIOAN AND JAPANESE TBADE COMPETITION
Monday, August 11. — ^I arrived at Chefoo from
Port Arthur at 7 a.m. There was no steamer going
to Kiao-Ghan. I went to an afternoon picnic on a
hill about four miles out of Ghefoo, known as the
'Pinnacle/ 1,811 feet high. We were carried in
chairs to the foot of the hill, which we climbed.
The view was most extensive, embracing not only
Chefoo Harbour, and the rich plains studded with
populous villages stretching right into the interior
behind Chefoo, but also similar plains as far as the
eye could reach in the direction of Wei-hai-Wei, over
which Mr. Balfour's ' physically impossible ' railway
could readily be made. On the way I saw a
multitude of threshing floors made of mud which had
dried as hard as cement. On these, piles of the ears
of the millet (kaoliang) were being beaten with flails.
They were also winnowing the grain by throwing
shovelfuls high in the air so that the wind might
blow away the chaff and the com be left in a heap
behind.
I slept at the family hotel right on the edge of
the sea, one and a half miles over the bea«h from
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CHINA INLAND MISSION 86
Chefoo. In the morning, looking out upon the
splendid buildings of the China Inland Mission, with
a large vineyard capping the summit of a hill, it was
difficult to imagine that I was in China.
CHINA INLAND MISSION
I Tisited the China Inland Mission schools next
morning and found both boys and girls hard at work
— they begin lessons at 7 a.m. There is a high
school both for boys and girls, also a preparatory
school with a total of nearly 200 scholars. The
children of missionaries are educated free, and the
schools are also open to the children of European
residents in China on payment of reasonable fees.
The majority of the children remain at school during
the holidays, as this is one of the healthiest places
in China, and the distance that they would have to
travel home makes it impossible for them to be with
their parents during the vacations. They have two
sanatoriums on the Compound for sick missionaries.
The China Inland Mission has nearly 800
missionaries at work in China, and on the whole they
consider they are doing successful work. They have
over 200 stations, but are more largely engaged in
travelling about in. the interior of China doing
evangelistic work. This Mission, in contradistinc-
tion to all others, is inter-denominational and inter-
national, which appears to me to be a great advan-
tage. The Mission includes men of different
denominations. Amongst them are members of the
Church of England, Baptists, Wesleyans, and Presby-
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86 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OEISIS
terians. They aim at teaching simply the broad
principles of Christianity, and those who work in
connection with the Mission sign their acquiescence
in a few main points in the matter of creed, to which
all members of Evangelical churches can readily
assent. Churchmen are, however, appointed to work
in one particular district and the Baptists in another,
and if they leave their station they are followed, if
possible, by a man of the same religious denomina-
tion. This great work was, as is well known,
founded by the Bev. Hudson Taylor. Many men
of wealth have devoted both their lives and their
money to this Mission.
TRADB OP OHBPOO
The total value of the trade of Chefoo in 1897
was over three million pounds sterling, and out of
25,885,801 total tonnage of shipping entered and
cleared in the same year, 13,027,559 was British.
I am sorry to say that British trade in North
China is declining, and American and Japanese trade
is increasing by leaps and bounds. Eight-elevenths
of the trade of Chefoo is done by the United States
of America and Japan, and only three-elevenths by
England and the rest of the world. Manchester can
no longer compete with the United States of
America in the importation of drills, jeans, and
sheetings, owing to the low prices at which the
latter country can land this class of goods in China.
Freights from New York are lower than from Liver-
pool, and the goods pass through fewer hands in
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AMBBIOAN COMPETITION 87
America. Prices are also influenced by the fact
that while American manufacturers are using every
effort to secure the market here, Manchester has
more orders at present than can be immediately
executed, and the large demand from India keeps
the mills fully occupied.
America does not yet compete with Great Britain
in finer makes.
In regard to tin plates, on which the Americans
put a heavy protective duty against their admission
into America, and thus succeeded in establishing
works to provide for their own requirements, I find
that they have bSen able also to increase their
exports of tin plates from 4,188,000 pounds in 1896
to 14,934,188 pounds in 1898. These are notes of
warning to English manufacturers which ought not
to be ignored, as they show that unless our works
are absolutely up to date, we shall be left behind in
the race. The fact that in 1895 Great Britain sold
five times as much as America, while in 1898 she
sold only twice as much, shows how rapidly our
kinsmen across the Atlantic are invading a market
in which we previously enjoyed supremacy. One
reason why America is able to wrest our trade
from us is the superiority of their Bureau of
Foreign Commerce. They issue daily, monthly,
and yearly consxilar reports containing full infor-
mation as to openings for trade and the classes
of goods required all over the world. These
reports are printed within a few days after being
received, and supplied to all applicants free ; whilst
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88 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
in England months are often allowed to pass before
a report is issued, and then it is only to be had
by paying for it. Their consul at Chefoo, where
they have made such rapid strides, devotes himself
morning, noon, and night to promoting the exten-
sion of American trade with his district. On the
other hand, too many of the British consuls seem to
consider it no part of their business to assist British
traders.
MY CHINBSB SBCBETABY
Mr. Bourne, our acting consul at Shanghai, sent
me up a Chinaman who had been educated at King's
College, London, and graduated at an American
university, to act as secretary and interpreter during
my North China trip. He was instructed to meet
me on arrival of the Korean steamer at Chefoo ; but,
though he reached the place the day before, and
reported himself to Messrs. Butterfield & Swire,
he was neither seen nor heard of again up to the
time of my departure for Newchwang. On my return
to Chefoo he was sent for, and in explanation of his
failure to meet me as instructed, he said that he
thought a gentleman would not care to be called
upon by his private secretary until after tififiin, and
that he had assumed that I would stay at least a
day or two in Chefoo. I also found that this
grandee had his servant travelling with him — at my
expense. On arrival at Tientsin, when I told him
io look after the transportation of my baggage to the
hotel, he replied that he had himself to settle at his
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KIAO-CHAU 89
hotel, and that he had not understood that he
had been engaged to do servant's work. He was,
therefore, much too grand a gentleman for my
purpose, and as I fonnd that high political per-
sonages, such as Prince Ching and Li-Hnng-Ghang,
object to the employment of an unknown interpreter
in interviews, I decided to send him back to
Shanghai. He was unable to write shorthand, and
was, therefore, useless to me for secretarial work.
I hope he is not a fair example of a Europeanised
Chinaman. He spoke English admirably, but his
conceit and vanity were unbounded.
BTBAKDED AT OHBFOO
I found that the first steamer leaving Chef oo for
Shanghai which would call at Eiao-Chau would not
leave for four days, a delay I could ill afford.
I telegraphed to Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co.>
of Shanghai, asking that their steamer, the < Lien
Shing,* which was leaving that day direct for
Shanghai, might call at Kiao-Chau for four hours,
in order that I might see Grermany's latest acquisi-
tion. They most kindly consented, and I left at
4 P.M. bound for Eiao-Chau. The British consul.
Dr. Molyneux, and Mr. Donelly came on board to
see me off.
VISIT TO KIAO-OHAU
My visit to Kiao-Chau was made on September 4
under the most favourable circumstances. This
place is on the east coast of the great Province of
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90 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
Shantnng, containing a population of 87 millions,
and was seized by the Q^nnans in 1897, as repara-
tion for the murder of two German missionaries.
They are making it the base of operations designed to
extend their influence throughout Shantung, and
possibly far beyond.
About 17 miles off we passed right imder the
splendid ragged-edged moimtain Loshar, which
looked grand as it rose almost sheer out of the
sea 8,530 feet above the water. This mountain is
included in territory leased by Germany, and,
German-like, they have already a mountain hotel
near the summit as a sanatorium.
Eleven miles to the west of Kiao-Chau is another
fine mountain, Tamoshan, 2,249 feet, and all round
are rugged hills forming the background of low,
undulating, well-cultivated land.
The entrance to the magnificent Bay, which
covers 140 square miles at high water, is only
If miles across. On the left is Gape Evelyn, 516
feet high, whilst on the right is a low-lying pro-
montory.
Ghin-tau, the present port, is outside this en-
trance, and exposed to easterly gales. The Germans
intend to transfer the port to the opposite side
of the promontory — that is, inside the large
bay ; and they are already busily engaged in con-
structing two breakwaters at a cost of 250,000Z., so
as to have a large area of deep water in which
vessels may anchor without being exposed to gales
which may sweep across the inland bay.
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A SHELTEBBD HABBOUB 91
Lord Charles fieresford, in his brief visit to
Eiao-Chau, does not appear to have ascertained
what the Grermans really intended to do, as he
speaks of its being necessary that a breakwater
should be constructed to protect shipping from
easterly gales, evidently assuming that the port
would remain where it is at present.
Eiao-Chau Bay is one of the best-sheltered
harbours on the east coast of China, and has ex-
tensive, perfectly land-locked deep-water anchorage
independent of tibe new port which is being made.
The general appearance of the country around is
barren, and there is scarcely a tree to be seen;
but the Germans have a special forestry department
actively engaged in ascertaining the kind of trees
which will grow the best, and in planting large
areas.
Substantial stone buildings are being rapidly
erected, and there is already a large first-class
hotel.
On anchoring some distance from the shore, we
soon saw a steam launch rapidly ploughing her way
across the bay towards us. It was the launch of
his Excellency Captain Jaeschke, the Governor of
the port, and had on board his aide-de-camp, Baron
Liliencron, who is a captain in the German Army.
He had come to receive me on behalf of the
Governor, and we immediately proceeded to Govern-
ment House, where I found they had delayed tiffin
an hour for my benefit. The Governor had been
advised by Baron von Ketteler, the German Minister
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92 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT OBISIS
at Pekin, and also by the German Consul at
Chefoo, of my intended visit. He expressed
himself specially pleased to welcome me as
a member of the British House of Commons,
adding that I was the first who had thus honoured
him with a visit, and that even no member of the
German Parliament had yet been to Eiao-Chau.
He was strongly of opinion that it would be of
the greatest possible advantage if they would
come and see for themselves the possibilities of the
Far East.
Accompanied by the Governor's aide-de-camp
and Dr. Schrameier, the Civil Commissioner, I
started on horseback to explore the whole district.
We first of all ascended Bismarckberg, 450 feet,
from which we had a perfect view, including the
large bay, the sea coast stretching away east and
west, and the country in the background. In the
course of our three hours' ride we saw practically
everything. We visited the new harbour works and
the construction works in connection with the rail-
way which the Germans are building to Tsinan, in
the province of Shantung, a place about 800 miles
inland from Eiao-Chau. This railway, they antici-
pate, will be completed in 2^ years. It will be con-
nected at Tsinan with the railway which is to be
built from Tientsin to Chinkiang jointly by the
Germans and British. The Chinese workmen
simply swarmed like bees on both harbour and rail-
way works. The Germans are employing fully 5,000,
and, contrary to the experience of the Bussians, their
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TRADE OP KIAO-OHAU 98
trouble lies in the mnltitnde of applications for
work which they have to refuse. There are 1,400
German soldiers at Eiao-Chau, and, following our
example at Wei-hai-Wei, they intend to enrol
Chinese soldiers, starting with 120 men.
At Port Arthur the Bussians have built their
forts and mounted guns before they have made the
place. The Gtermans, however, say that they are
going to create the town of Kiao-Chau first, and will
then construct its defences. They have a few guns
mounted.
TBADB OF KUO-CHAU
£oth the Governor and the Civil Commissioner
strongly desired that I should make it known at
home that Eiao-Chau will be open to British trade
on precisely the same terms and conditions as to
German, and just in the same way as British posses-
sions are equally open to German and British
traders.
Lord Charles Beresford anticipated that the
regulations as to land would hinder the development
of Eiao-Chau. I made careful inquiries as to this,
and take an opposite view. The regulations
adopted by the Germans might with great
advantage be put in force at places in our own
Empire where new towns are being created. They
are designed to prevent land speculators buying up
huge blocks of land and artificially running up
prices. The Government own the land, and are
prepared to sell it at a very reasonable price to bond-
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94 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CBISIS
fide purchasers. In order to seoore a reasonable
share in the increase in value which may take place
through works of public utility carried out at the cost
of the State, the Qovemment will claim one-third of
the profit that may be made in any resale of land,
excluding, however, any buildings that may be on
the land. In order to safeguard themselves against
fraud, they reserve the right to take over any piece
of land when the purchaser comes to register it — at
the price stipulated in the contract. Six per cent, is
charged on the assessed value of the land as a land
tax, and it is to be reassessed every 25 years. The
regulations, it will be seen, are the practical embodi-
ment, to some extent, of the just principle of the taxa-
tion of ground values which many of us consider
shoTdd be put in force at home.
Captain Jaeschke invited me to dine with him, but
having only asked permission to detain the steamer
four hours, I was unable to have that pleasure. The
Civil Commissioner and Baron Liliencron came on
board to see me off, and the Governor also came out
to the steamer to say ' Good-bye.' I had had a
most satisfactory visit, and can heartily congratulate
the Germans on the qualities of courage, energy, and
enterprise which they are displaying in the great
Empire of China. They show that they appreciate
the enormous possibilities which China offers for the
development of trade, and put to shame our Govern-
ment, who are still pursuing a policy of drift and are
failing to take adequate measures to maintain or
advance British commercial interests.
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SHANGHAI 95
EIAO-OHAU TO SHANGHAI
We had a pleasant passage of about forty hours
from Eiao-Ghau to Shanghai. We entered the
Whangpoo Biver at the Woosung Forts, about twelve
miles from Shanghai. These forts were at that time
dismantled. To go up the Yangtsze it is necessary
to return to Woosung, and then take the channel
northwards which leads into the Yangtsze. The
channel southwards is taken when bound for Hong
Eong. There are on both sides of the river abso-
lutely flat fertile plains, on which two or even three
crops a year are grown. The country is fairly well
timbered, and the trees looked quite fresh and green.
SHANGHAI
On the right-hand side of the river are situated
the settlements originally obtained by America and
England which they agreed to convert into an
international settlement. The area of this, with the
addition recently made, is about five miles by three.
On the Bund facing the river the hongs and other
buildings are almost palatial : avenues of trees add
much to the attractive appearance of the city on its
river front.
The French have their extensive settlement
beyond the international settlement. In this they
claim absolute jurisdiction, though they enjoy an
equal right to utilise the international settlement
with other nations. They are seeking to obtain a
further concession. The report that this attempt on
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96 CHINA AND THE PEBSENT OEISIS
their part had been defeated by the joint action of
America and England is not correct. They are still
pressing their demand, though only seventeen
Frenchmen live in their present settlement.
On the left bank of the river as we came up we
passed more than one shipbuilding yard with dry
docks and repairing shops, also several petroleum
godowns. On the right bank were cotton and
other factories, also godowns and wharves.
As we drew near to Shanghai the river was full
of shipping, which, together with the works, mills,
and buildings lining both banks, conveyed to one
some idea of the immense business carried on in
the city which is known as the capital of the Far
East.
I noticed in the river an Italian cruiser, an
English and a Japanese gunboat, also a beautiful
Chinese Customs revenue cruiser.
On arriving at the wharf Mr. Morris, from
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co., boarded the
steamer and handed me an invitation to put up at
their hong. In the course of the day I called upon
Mr. Archibald Little, who had arrived the day
before, in order to discuss with him the necessary
arrangements in connection with our projected expe-
dition 1,600 miles up the Yangtsze Biver to Chung
King. I then went to the British Consulate and
saw Mr. F. 8. Bourne, the acting Consul here,
who promised me all the assistance in his power
to facilitate my journey. In the evening Mr.
Inglis drove me round the best residential parts of
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INLAND WATBBWAYS 97
Shanghai andjout to the^ Country Club, a fine build-
ing with extensiye grounds attaohed, in which there
are fifteen lawn tennis courts. The Club grounds
are well timbered and kept in excellent order. The
membership of the Club includes ladies as well as
men, and it is a pleasant centre of Shanghai social
life.
The large number of handsome residences which
we saw gave evidence of the great commercial pro-
sperity of Shanghai, and would be an eye-opener to
those at home who have but a faint idea of the im-
portance of the Far East.
BABNSLEY BOBBINS
Practically all the Chinese cotton mills use
Bamsley bobbins, over 12,000 gross having been
ordered this year.
Owing to failure of the cotton crop last year
the cotton mills have been running half-time only,
or the orders would have been larger. The Euro-
pean mills buy their bobbins in London, and they
possibly have some portion of their requirements
supplied from Bamsley.
THB INLAND WATBBWAYS OF CHINA
On Monday, September 18, I left with three
Shanghai gentlemen in two European houseboats,
towed by a steam launch, on an expedition through
the inland waterways south of Shanghai. We
started in a downpour of rain which never ceased
for thirty-six hours, but we were quite watertight and
H
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98 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
laxnrionsly comfortable in our floating houses —
with cooks and servants on board as on shore.
The first part of onr route lay up the Whang-poo
Biver, and then along, the Grand Canal for some
distance. The Grand Canal is one of the most
wonderful works in China. It runs 650 miles from
Pekin to Hang Chow, and was constructed between
the seventh and tenth centuries. It is a tribute to
the possession of courage, enterprise, and perseverance
by the Chinese of those days. It has been of incal-
culable value in enabling the trade of the richest por-
tion of China to be carried on by the cheapest mode
of transit next to railways.
CmNBSB BBIDGBS
The Grand Canal and the other creeks up which
we steamed were crossed by a succession of handsome
stone bridges — solid, well-built structures, doing
credit to both workmen and engineers. The heavy
rains had made the water rise considerably in the
creeks, and it soon became doubtful whether our
craft could pass under the bridges. Over and over
again we just scraped through, even after taking
down the deck houses. It was quite exciting work,
and we all had a turn at it. We reaped our reward
when dinner time came and good digestion waited
on appetite. At last we were face to face with a
bridge through which the launch would not pass,
so leaving her behind our men propelled the house-
boats by means of huge oars, called yulohs, five or
six men working each of them. We were passing
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CHINBSB CBOWDS 99
throngh a densely populated part of China. The
people swarmed ont to see the ' foreign devils ' at
every village and town : some stood gazing with
months wide open, or, pointing to ns, made remarks
not alwajrs of the most complimentary charaoter;
bnt the majority were always ready to acknowledge
a friendly smile by smiling back. As a role the
crowds were orderly and treated us with quite as
much, if not with more courtesy and civility than
would often be shown to Chinamen in England.
From a Chinaman's standpoint, we are both in dress
and appearance the most amusing and ridiculous-
looking specimens of humanity. The whole of the
150 miles down to Hai-ning there were rich alluvial
plains, growing two and even three crops a year. A
large area is covered with mulberry trees which
provide food for the silkworms. Cotton and all
kinds of cereals, beans, sweet potatoes, and many
other crops are largely grown. The luxuriant
growth greatly added to the scenery, which in many
of the creeks, where trees, huge palm-like reeds, ferns,
and flowering shrpbs overhung the water on each side,
was very beautiful. A weed resembling maidenhair
fern covered the surface of the water in many places,
and where this was covered with the purple flowers
shed from the shrubs above the effect was most
charming. I should have liked to be able to
transport a few square feet untouched as a dinner-
table decoration. We saw serpents swimming across
the streams, and in many places crowds of buffaloes
were cooling themselves up to the neCk in the water.
h2
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100 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CBISIS
OOBMOBANT FISHING
It was very novel and amnsing to see flocks of
trained cormorants being used for fishing. These
birds are like large ducks, except their bills, which
are so constructed as to enable them to snatch fish
out of the water with the greatest rapidity and ease.
A string is tied to the foot of each bird and held by
the man in the boat. He thus directs the operations
of perhaps twenty birds at once. They enter the
water and dive for fish, and when the man in charge
sees a bird has secured one he draws it into the boat
and takes it out of its bill. A ring or cord is tempo-
rarily put round the neck of the cormorant to prevent
h\m swallowing the fish. At intervals the birds are
taken on board to rest, and they are encouraged in
their work by receiving ample meals of fish.
BIEDS, GAMB, AND INSECTS.
We did not see a great variety of birds, but the
lovely kingfisher abounded. There is excellent
shooting in some districts, pheasant, snipe, wild geese,
ducks, swans, woodcock, and teal, also deer and
hares. It is a curious fact that there are no
rabbits in China. Insect life is far too prolific for
one's comfort. The mosquitoes came in swarms
and did vastly more bloodletting for me than I
desired. Lovely fireflies lighted up bush and bank
on every side, whilst the tremendous noise made by
multitudes of frogs, grasshoppers, and other insects
all through the night was perfectly wonderful.
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A BOAT POPULATION 101
CHIKBSB BIVBB LIFB
We had an insight into Chinese river life.
Millions of families have nohouseon shore, but live the
year round, and indeed all their lives, in their boats.
On onr short trip we saw thousands of these floating
homes — ^if homes they can by any stretch of the
imagination be called. The Chinese occupants,
however, look well nourished, are well dressed in
their own style, and seem a merry, happy, and con-
tented people. No doubt their life on the water is
much healthier than it would be in insanitary
dwellings on shore.
Amongst other boats are those known as
despatch boats. They draw only two or three
inches of water, and are propelled at great speed by
a man seated in the stem, who works one oar with
his feet most cleverly, and at the same time sculls
with his arms and manages to keep a sun umbrella
aloft over his head.
We met also trains of Chinese houseboats, eight
or ten in a line, drawn by powerful steam launches
at a high speed. They have a regular service between
Shanghai and Hang Chow, which affords a comfort-
able and cheap mode of transit.
In the towns through which we passed many
picturesque wooden houses were built on solid stone
foundations rising out of the water, and were pro-
vided with steps at which to land, very much the
same as at Venice. Eashing, Hai-ning, and other
places are enclosed by huge walls with turreted
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lOa CHINA AND THE PBBBBNT OBISIS
battlements, and the inhabitants seemed ahnost to
belong to another world.
0BBAT BRA WALIi
Our destination was Hai-ning, a city on the
Tsien-tang Biver, about fifteen miles from the sea.
From Hang Chow, past Hai-ning, to Woosung, a
distance of 140 miles, there stretches a huge wall
about thirty feet high, built of rocks three to four
feet long, clamped together with iron to keep out the
sea, the country inland being oa a lower level.
We had come to see what is known as the ' Bore '
at full moon when the tide is the highest. The
estuary of the river is of funnel shape, and as the
swollen river rushes down its comparatively narrow
channel on the ebb tide it dams back and prevents
for a time the inflow of the rising tide. This is
banked up, as it were, until the pent-up wall of solid
water outside becomes irresistible, and surges right
over the top of the river at the rate of fifteen or six-
teen miles an hour. It is a mass of water two miles
across and from 6 feet to 19 feet high. The roar of
it can be heard miles away. It is a grand and im-
pressive spectacle.
AN BX-MISSIONABY AT THB WHBBL
An ex-missionary volunteered to tow us with his
steam launch back to where we had left ours. We
sped along merrily for a time with the missionary
at the wheel, but we noticed he took the bridges in
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SILK WOBKS 108
a reckless fashion. Very soon he dashed through
one, bninping onr houseboat against the solid stone
buttress so violently that the contents of our dinner
table were strewn over the cabin and a good deal of
glass and crockery was smashed to atoms. Our
houseboat was also considerably damaged. We
resumed the slower but safer yuloh. We reached
our launch before dark, and all night we glided
by lovely moonlight along the most charming
waterways. Early morning found us rolling and
tossing on the great Whang-poo Biver, a strong wind
against the tide causing quite a sea.
YANGTSCT BXPBDinON
The next day I was hard at work laying in stores
and other requisites for my 1,600 miles expedition
up the great Yangtsze Eiver. I had to buy bedding
and furniture, cutlery, glass, crockery, cooking stove,
pots, and pans, in addition to food ; so it was quite
an undertaking.
SILE FILATUBB WOBES
I managed to make the time for a visit to the
filature works of Jardine, Matheson, & Co. They buy
silk cocoons up country in May. These are heated
in ovens to kill the worm inside, and then brought
down to Shanghai. The cocoons are then sorted
according to quality, and after being soaked in
boiling water the silk is unwound by machinery
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104 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT GBISIS
from five cocoons at once— the five almost invisible
threads being woven into one thread in the process.
Girls overlook this in the most skilful manner — re-
placing one cocoon by another as finished, and tying
the end of the thread to the beginning of the thread
unwomid from the fresh cocoon in a very rapid
and clever way. Nothing is wasted — the inferior
parts of the cocoon are used to make common
qualities of silk. The worms are eaten by the
Chinese or sold as manure. The hanks of wound
silk are beautifully soft, and are handled and packed
with the greatest neatness and care. The Chinese
very carefully preserve a sufficient supply of silk-
worms. The worm, if left alone, bursts the cocoon
and escapes as a butterfly. They lay 2,000 to 3,000
eggs, and on the successful hatching of these depends
the future supply of silkworms. These are often
hatched by the Chinese on their own persons and in
their beds with great ingenuity, and are reared with
the utmost care. As the wee worms appear they
are so fragile that they cannot be touched by hand,
but are gently lifted by a mulberry leaf on to trays
and fed two or three times a day with mulberry
leaves cut as small as possible.
I left Shanghai on September 28, at 5 A.M., in
s.s. * Eutwo ' for Nankin, this being the first stage
of my intended expedition up the Yangtsze Valley
to the most western province of China, Szechuan.
Unfortunately, Mr. Archibald Little, who knows
this region better than any other living man, was
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MB. LITTLB 106
Tmavoidably detained at Shanghai. I could not
delay starting — as that would endanger my being at
home for the opening of Parliament — so I decided
to go alone. ^ Mr. Little most kindly placed his
steam launch at my disposal above Ichang.
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106 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CBISIS
CHAPTER Vn
LOWEB BEACHES OF THE TANGT8ZE
8.8. 'Kuiwo,* September 24, 1899.— This steamer
is one of the magnificent river boats of American type
of which there is a daily sailing from Shanghai to
Hankow, a distance of 600 miles np the Yangtsze
River. She carries 2,000 tons of cargo— largely
Manchester piece goods for the interior of China —
and was not only full, but had to shut out cargo
offered. The trade has increased so rapidly that
additional steamers are urgently needed and are now
in course of construction, not only by the English
and Chinese, but also by the Japanese and
Germans.
In three hours we were in the lower reaches of
the great river — a perfect sea of muddy water. A
thin line of brown, a shade deeper than that of the
water, barely visible to starboard, indicated the left
bank, whilst in the opposite direction the muddy
waste extended to the horizon. Soon the river was
lined by flat, fertile, well-wooded plains, and was
contracted to a width varying in the course of the
day from 1^ to 2^ miles. A multitude of junks and
boats with their picturesque sails and interesting
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OHINKIANG 107
Chinese occupants greatly retieved the manotony of
the scenery, and ias we glided on, basking in glorious
sunshine, far away from the rush and crush of
modem dyilised life, one felt at peace with all the
world.
Ninety-six miles from Shanghai we passed
Eiangyin, where forts, with heavy guns, have been
constructed on the low-lying hills on the left bank
of the river.
This plain commands the river, and we ought to
have taken it by arrangement with the Chinese, who
would have welcomed our intervention, in place of
Wei-hai'-Wei.
OHINEIANa
This morning at 3 a.m. we reached Chinkiang,
a city with 140,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded
by well-wooded country and has a fine range of hills
a little way inland, also lower hills on the edge of
the river. Grolden Island looked picturesque, rising
up from the water from two to three hundred feet
surmounted by a pagoda. Silver Island in the river
just below Chinkiang is prettily wooded.
Chinkiang is a distributing centre for the pro-
vinces of Eiang-si, Kiang-suh, Anhui, Shantung,
and Honan. Its trade now amounts to about 3^
millions sterling a year. The entrance to the Grand
Canal is close by, and this, coupled with numerous
other waterways and the railway which is to be
jointly constructed by the Germans and English
from Tientsin to Chinkiang, gives promise of still
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106 CHINA AND THB PBBBBNT GBISIS
greater prosperity in the fature. There are a
number of European houses, and the Chinese city
h^ existed for 2,000 years. The insistence on the
carrying out in its entirety of the agreement in
regaurd to the opening to trade of the inland water-
ways of China, and the securing of the right for
traders, as well as missionaries, to acquire property
and reside in the interior, would cause trade to
advance, to the mutual advantage of the Chinese
and of the various nations trading with them.
BBinSH FLBBT IN 1842
If I could have gone back in my vision to 1842, 1
should have seen a British fleet anchored off Chin-
kiang, and great would have been the contrast
between those line-of-battle ships and those I saw
fljring the Union Jack at Wei-hai-Wei.
We left Chinkiang at 6 A.M., and at 8 passed
Iching, a salt emporium from which a large dis-
trict is supplied by junks under Government control.
Salt is contraband, being a Government monopoly,
and no other vessels are allowed to carry it.
Bight up to Nankin, 200 miles from Shanghai,
the river was never less than a mile wide. In many
places reeds grow on the marshy banks 12 to 16
feet high. These are all cut in December and used
as fuel and for the construction of roofs and fences
in place of bamboos. Paper is also manufactured
from the leaves. We passed districts where the
rice crop had been cut and the stocks fixed several
feet above the grotmd on triangles of bamboo to
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NANKIN 109
save it from destmction by floods overflowing the
river banks, but involving great trouble and labour
upon the plodding, patient, industrious Chinese
agriculturists. We now began to see cattle here
and there — ^in many parts of China they are un-
known.
For some distance below Nankin rich plains
stretched to low hills on the left, and on the right
bank a bare and higher range running up to 1,000
feet formed the background.
Fifteen miles from Nankin a straight canal
reduces the distance by one-half, but only junks are
allowed to use it, although there is ample room.
NAKEIK
Arrived at Nankin 12.30. Mr. Aglen, Commis-
sioner of Customs, came off to welcome me. The
Viceroy, Liu-Kun-Yi, who rules Kiangsi, Anhui,
and Kiangsuh Provinces, had been asked by mistake
to receive me to-morrow instead of to-day, and had
put off a review of the Military School on this
account. When it was represented to him that I
must leave early the next morning he gave me an
appointment at 5 p.m., though he is old and feeble
and had had a heavy day. I had my cards prepared
in Chinese eight incJies long by three wide — the size
of your card is regulated by your public or official
position—and it would not do to belittle yourself
by handing in a small English card. Mr. AgLen
accompanied me to interpret. We first went to the
Foreign Office, where the Taotai (the official next
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110 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT OBISIS
in importance to the Viceroy) was waiting to receive
me and to conduct me to the Viceroy's yamen. We
were carried in green chairs which are only used by
high officials.
INTBBVIBW WITH VIOBBOY LIXT-KUN-YI
I was received with ceremony, the pathway
through the courtyards leading to the Beception
Hall being lined by soldiers and attendants. Liu-
Kun-Yi was standing at the doorway of the last
court, and greeted me with Chinese ceremonial
politeness. He conducted me into the yamen and
placed me on his left at a round table (contrary to
the English idea, the seat to the left of the host,
instead of that to the right, is the place of honour).
We were served with tea, champagne, fruits, sweets,
biscuits, and cigarettes. The Viceroy is one of the
most powerful men in China : he holds enlightened
views, and is patriotic and honest. His age and
state of health prevent his actively promoting the
adoption of a strong and drastic policy of reform.
I found him in a state of despair and anxious
only to be allowed to retire from office. He thinks
any reform movement to be effectual must begin
at Fekin. A strong, able, and enlightened ruler
could alone lay the foundation of the regeneration
of China. He considers the corrupt officialdom
ought to be dealt with, but he fears it is almost an
impossible task. He is very friendly to England,
but cannot understand why ihe BriticJi Government
should have allowed Bussia to ride roughshod over
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LIXJ-KUN-YI 111
China, and deeply regrets that our influence and
prestige have been destroyed. He would welcome
concerted assistance from those nations who do
not desire the partition of China in the reorganisa-
tion of her military f orces, but fears the difficulties
in the way of this are insurmountable. He patheti-
cally exclaimed Bussia would be sure to object, and
China must obey unless the friendly Powers are
prepared to assert themselves very differently from
what they have hitherto done in ihe present crisis.
Another hindrance is the lack of money. Liu-Kun-
Yi spoke with great cordiality of his appreciation of
the adyice Lord Charles Beresford gave h\m last
year as to reorganisation of military and naval
forces, and also of his warm friendship for him. He
has been a Viceroy over twenty years, and is of the
highest rank. Viceroys have enormous power in
China, the army and navy being created and ad-
ministered by them in their different Provinces.
They collect and expend all taxation, except a
certain proportion sent to Pekin. Liu-Kun-Yi rules
practically as a king over 66 millions of people. He
can, however, be dismissed and disgraced at a
mementos notice at the sweet will and pleasure of
the Emperor or Empress. After an audience of
three-quarters of an hour I took my leave, greatly
regretting that this able and patriotic Chinaman was
not thirty years younger.
I drove round the city of Nankin, which covers
a considerable area. The city walls are very massive.
The height varies from 30 to 60 feet, and they are so
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112 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
wide as to allow free gallops on horseback on the top.
Nankin was the capital of China before it was re-
moved to Pekin.
The Taiping Bebellion, which began in 1850 and
was put down by our 'Chinese Gordon/ was the
work of a sect calling themselves *(3toi Wor-
shippers/ Christianity being their profession, but
mixed with a great deal of error. They started as
the Regenerators of the Empire, and there is reason
to think they were sincere. My sympathies would
have been with them. They took possession of
Nankin in 1853, and made it their headquarters.
Afterwards they withstood a siege by the Imperialists
lasting some years.
In 1861 the British Naval Squadron assembled at
Nankin preparatory to an expedition of investiga-
tion further up the river.
NANKIN PAGODA
We ascended the pagoda on a hill in the city, and
had a glorious view of the city and the surrounding
country. The greater part of what is enclosed
within the walls is not built upon, but is an undu-
lating, well-wooded tract, with rich garden land.
The city is practically encircled by hills, and it
appears to be a rich, prosperous, and attractive place.
There is a Tartar city, inside the other, which is
mostly in ruins.
MING TOMBS
The Ming Tombs, under the Golden Pearl Moun-
tain, where repose the remains of His Majesty Choo,
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NANKIN BUILDINGS 118
the first monarch of the Ming dynasty, I had not
time to yisit ; I snoceeded, however, in procuring a
photograph.
The broad Yangtsze Biver is two miles away from
the nearest point of the city walls, and it is five miles
from the landing-plaee to the Viceroy's Yamdn.
We drove this distance over the best macadamised
road I have seen in China, which was built by the
last Viceroy, Chang Chih Tung. There are military
and naval colleges at Nankin, under Germans and
English respectively, but they do not amount to
much, I fear, as regards leavening the military and
naval systems of the coxmtry. Nankin boasts also
of a mint, a gunpowder factory, and an arsenal, but at
the last practically only antiquated jingalls are made.
Mr. Aglen's home is on an old vessel moored in
the river, where he has fixed up quite comfortable
quarters.
At 5.80 next morning I was on board the steam-
ship ' Tatung,' bound for Hankow. The weather was
perfect and the scenery pleasant. We passed several
bluffe on the edge of the river — two of them known
as East an^ West Pillar — and also a steep and well-
wooded island. Above and below Wuhu (60 miles
up from Nankin) are rich plains on both banks, on
which enormous crops of rice are produced. This is
shipped from Wuhu. No less than six steamers
were lying there waiting to load rice, in addition to
the regular boats. The Boman Catholic Church
and other mission premises are the most prominent
features at Wuhu. The population is 80,000, and
I
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lU CHINA AND THE PBESENT QBISIS
trade 1,200,0001. annually. Its proximity to water-
wajTB is certain to give it a growing trade as these
become properly opened. All the afternoon we
passed momitains to the south, and rich fairly
timbered plains everywhere.
SPOBT IN THB YANGTSZB VALLBY
There is said to be excellent shooting in many
places, notably in the Wohu district. Pheasant,
duck, teal, snipe, geese, swans, and woodcock are got,
also deer and hares. Amongst bags made have been
1,800 pheasants in twenty-three days, with six gons,
and one man bagged 70 in one day. They are wild,
and not haU-tame, as in England, and are neither
preserved nor reared. With regard to snipe, one
gon got 102 one day and 114 another. A man also
bagged 422 head of wildfowl in ten days. As in
other conntries, the tendency is for game to diminish.
The pheasant would soon have been extinct, as they
were being killed off wholesale, but this has been
put a stop to by Imperial edict.
ElAKGSI
Tuesday, September 26, found us in the pro-
vince of Kiangsi. There were rich plains, populous
villages, with stone houses on the south, backed by a
fine range of hills. On the north stretched flat
plains with low And very distant hills and numerous
hamlets and farms. We passed the Orphan Bock,
a pyramid in the river 300 feet high, with joss house
and pagoda— nestling on a well-wooded summit. At
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EIU EIANO 116
9.80 we had on oor left the entrance to the enoimoas
Poyang Lake, about whioh so little is yet known.
There is a small town and pictnresque old fort on the
bluff to the left, and a modem fort on a sandhill to
the right of the inlet.
sin EIANG
We rc^aohed Eia Kiang, 444 miles from Shanghai,
about 1 P.M. It is an attraotive place of over
50,000 inhabitants. The Chinese city is surrounded
by grand old walls with tuireted battlements, and
has a good deal of timber inside. Outside is a
handsome little European bund with avenues of
trees facing the river. The splendid Catholic
Mission premises, church and hospital, are a
special feature. About 16 miles inland runs a
grand broken range of mountains, 4,000 to 4,500 feet
high. On one of these is a Missionary Sanatorium
rejoicing in the name of Kuling.
TBADB OF KIU KIANG
The trade of Eiu Eiang is very large, amounting
to over two millions a year. The principal export
is black tea. If light-dnkught steamers and steam-
launches for towing were put on the Poyang Lake
and the tributary rivers, so as to allow goods to be
freely conveyed by water to and from the province
of Eiang-si, a rapid increase of trade would ensue.
The 150 miles between Eiu Eiang and Hankow was
of much the same character — ^rich plains, populous
villages, a fair amount of wood, and here and
i2
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1X6 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
there hills to add to the aoenio beauty. As we
approached Hankow the whole country became flat,
but continued most fertile. Millet, wheat, sesame
seed, indigo, and other crops had largely taken the
place of rice, which distinguished the Wuhu
district.
I arrived at Hankow on September 27, and had
a warm welcome from Mr. Cradock, of Jardine,
Matheson, & Co., with whom I stayed.
Here, though 600 miles inland, the majestic
Yangtsze Biver is over a mile wide, and some idea of
the enormous quantity of water sweeping past may be
got when I say that it is at present 41 ft. 7 in. above
its lowest water-level. This is quite an unusual
condition of affairs at the end of September, and the
chance of being able to get through the Yangtsze
gorges in the time at my disposal is not good. Not
even a cargo junk has ventured to face the torrent
above Ichang for nearly a month past. Contrary to
our experience at home, rivers in China have a much
greater volume of water in summer than in winter.
This is due to the melting of snow and the time of
their rainy seasons. There is practically no rainfall
in winter. The Han Biver enters the Yangtsze at
Hankow, and separates it from the town of Han-
Yang. These two places, together with Wuchang
on the opposite side of the Yangtsze to Hankow,
have a united population variously estimated at from
one to two millions. In approaching Hankow
we had the imposing Bund on the right, with its
palatial hongs, avenues of trees, and well-kept
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POBBIGNBBS AT HANKOW 117
lawns. First come the Japanese^ German, French,
and Bnssian concessions, recently acquired and only
partially bnilt up. The English concession has
on it the main European settlement. The Bussians
and others prefer to be under British jurisdiction
rather than to be harassed by the cast-iron officialism
of their own nation. The French arbitrarily seized
and confiscated the racecourse, which was vested in
a cosmopolitan body, and no redress has been got.
The Bussians demanded that the title-deeds of
Britishers owning land or property, which had been
improperly included in their concession by the
Chinese Government, should be submitted for their
approval, and the English Government tamely
submitted, instead of denying their right to have
jurisdiction over it. The Bussians rejected certain
titles, including those of several pieces of land of
which Messrs. Jardine, Matheson, & Co. had
been in possession for thirty years, though ten years*
occupation gives an effective title according to
Bussian law. The owners proceeded to fence it ofif,
whereupon Bussian Cossacks tore up the fence and
assaulted the British overlooker.
BBinSH BLUEJAOKBTS TO THB FBONT
This high-handed proceeding was more than
even Her Majesty's Government could submit to,
and bluejackets were landed from the 'Woodlark' to
protect the workmen whilst they completed the
erection of the fence. At the sight of armed British
sailors the Bussians wisely disappeared, and have
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118 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT GBISIS
not interfered since. This shows that the firm up-
holding of our just rights, and not a policy of
surrender, is the best course to pursue. It is
reported that the English and Bussian Gtovemments
have agreed to submit the matter to arbitration.
This appears to be the only rational mode of
settling the dispute, and any refusal to arbitrate
would have shown the Hague Peace Conference to
be without practical result. It will be interesting
to see the final outcome of the a£Eair.
BBOBPTION BY OHANG OHIH TUNG
September 28. — The British Consul, Mr. Hurst,
had arranged for Chang Chih Tung, the Viceroy of
the Provinces of Hunan and Hupeh — ^with over
fifty-two millions of population— to receive me at
his Yamftn in the city of Wuchang at 10 a.m. We
crossed the river by steam-launch, and were carried
from the landing-place to the Yam6n in green chairs
preceded by soldiers to clear the track. The
Chinese who crowded the picturesque narrow
streets opened their mouths, gazed, and smiled vnth
amusement at the, to them, grotesque-looking men
passing through their midst. On arrival we were
promptly received by the Viceroy. He is an intel-
ligent-looking man, with bright alert eyes, a grey
beard, and finger nails more than an inch long.
Many Chinese of high rank grow them even longer*
He wore a conical hat made of reeds, lined with
scarlet. It had also a long scarlet fringe suspended
from a scarlet button on the top of the hat. His
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CHANG OHIH TUNG 119
flowing gannent was of violet dlk, lined with blue,
and from his neok were Buspended nnmerons strings
of round bnttons of varioiiB colonrs, denoting his
rank and official statns. In China you keep yonr
hat on during interviews. I had an interview last-
ing nearly two hours. I determined to make the
Viceroy talk about the present situation in China,
and led off by announcing mjrself as an Englishman
whose policy was China for the Chinese, as opposed
to partition, and added I had come all the way to
China for the purpose of ascertaining from states-
men like himself how> in their opinion, this object
could be best attained. He seemed doubtful and
suspicious for the first half -hour— after that he con-
versed freely, and we had a cordial and friendly
interchange of views. Chang Chih Tung is re-
garded as one of the most influential men in China,
and, unlike the majority of Chinese officials, he is
honest, patriotic, and progressive, and though he
has never been outside his own country he has a
wonderful grasp of the laws, government, and
institutions of European nations. He agreed that if
England, America, and Japan gave China their
joint influence and assistance its independence could
be preserved. He said small outstanding disputes
could easily be settled. He admitted the Pekin-
Hankow Bailway Concession was a mistake in some
of its conditions, but said provision was made for
pa3nng off the money and freeing the line. He
denied that the concessionnaires had power to police
the line by military guards, but did not contradict
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120 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT GBISIS
my statement that Bussiai France, and Gtermany,
also the Pekm-Hankow Syndicate, had been given
exclusive mining rights by the Chinese Govenmient,
which they were now refusing to the American-
English Syndicate in connection with the C^^ton-
Hankow line.
This is in contravention of the Treaty of Tientsin,
under which we are to have equal privileges, im-
munities, and advantages to those granted to other
nations. He argued that the hostile attitude of
the inhabitants of Hunan made this course necessary,
but thought that a compromise might be come to
in regard to the portion of the line nearer to Canton.
I told him that if the Chinese Government allowed
the Pekin-Hankow Syndicate to construct the line
from Hankow to Canton also, it would enable Bussia
and France to create a railway system throughout
China from north to south absolutely under their
own control, the independence of China would be
gone and its final absorption by those Powers only a
question of time.
Chang Chih Tung recognised the force of my
contention, and said the position was most critical,
as France was strongly pressing that the reversion of
the right to construct this line — which is provided
for in the Pekin-Hankow contract in the event of the
American concession lapsing — shotild now be con-
sidered operative on account of the deadlock in the
negotiations. He urged that America and England
should moderate their demands ; whilst I pointed
out that, unless China was prepared to commit
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FRIENDLY EXPBESBIONB 121
Biiicide, they should be ready to make any reasonable
concession to seonre the Canton-Hankow line being
made by Powers not desirous to bring about the
break-up of China. The Viceroy asked if Jung-lu
had been present at my audience with Prince Ching
at Pekin, adding that he is Prime Minister and
G-eneraUssimo of the Chinese Army, and all-power-
fol in China at preset, Prince Ching being really
the leader of the Opposition.
Chang Chih Tung more than once said he had
to do only with proyincial, and not with imperial
afEeurs ; that whilst he gave his opinions in a friendly
way, he had no authority to interfere in the matteor
of railway concessions or other imperial matters. I
replied that I felt sure those in authority would
attach great weight to any representations His
Excellency made.
He promised a red boat — i.e. a guard boat — from
Ichang up the Yangtsze as far as his province ex-
tended, and to telegraph a request that the Governor
of Szechuan would give similar assistance in that
province. He also agreed to arrange for my being
taken round the arsenal, the Han Yang works, and
the Military College.
The int^reter through whom our conversation
was carried on was first-class. The Taotai and two
other officials were present, and a crowd of retainers,
as usual, stood around the room and doorway.
After a cordial leave-taking we returned to Hankow.
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122 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
HAN YANG IBONWOBES
In the afternoon Consul Hurst and I went by steam-
launch to these works, which are the only ironworks
in China. They consist of two blast furnaces 66 feet
high, and rolling mills producing rails, angles, bars,
and plates. The plant was supplied and erected by
the Tees Side Ironworks Company, Yorkshire. An
enormous amount of money has been expended over
them — three-quarters of a million, it is said; but
they are not successful, owing to the lack of proper
management and the corruption of those in power,
who are feathering their own nests at the expense of
the concern. Bad material has also to be contended
with.
The blowing engines are only equal to working
one furnace, which produces 80 tons a day, and the
works turn out 120 to 150 tons of rails or other
finished steel per day, but are not worked regularly.
About one thousand hands are employed. I was
taken around by Mr. Williamson, a Scotchman from
Glasgow. The carrying of coke from the junk to the
furnaces in baskets was an example of some of the
primitive methods employed. The coke and coal
come from Pingshan mines, 280 miles away, and cost
36^. and 18^. per ton respectively, delivered. The iron
ore is from the Wong Chi Tong mines, 76 miles off,
and costs 65. 3(2. per ton. It contains 66 per cent,
of iron, but the phosphorus and other impurities
render it unfit for making steel. The coke has 20
per cent, of ash and too much phosphorus and
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HAN TANG ABSENAL 138
Btdphnr. They also bring manganif erons ore all the
way from Szedinan as a mixture: this mif ortunately
contains a high percentage of phosphorus, silica,
and sulphur. The rails will not stand proper tests,
and cost 71. a ton. The pig iron varies in cost from
31. to SI. lOs. per ton. So much for so-called cheap
labour. Having regard to the quality and cost, it
would pay them much better to buy what they need
in England.
HAN YANG ABSBNAL
I next visited the Arsenal, which has a first-rate
modem plant, made in Germany. There is a rifle
factory, and also one for small field-guns — ^both under
the management of Germans. The weapons are
excellently finished, but are practically useless, because
they are made of the steel produced at the Han Yang
works, which is quite unsuitable for the purpose.
I was surprised to meet a man called Adamd,
from Sheffield, a native of Botherham. He came
out to erect and manage crucible steel works, but
has been there eighteen months, and little has been
done, as he cannot get what he requires. He does
not think they will give him a proper quality of steel,
which must be imported from Europe, and he
despairs of doing any good.
The Japanese buy steel for their rifle barrels and
all the other fittings in England and France, and
do not attempt to make it themselves.
There is also a modem rifle-cartridge factory
at Han Yang. They use German powder at
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124 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OEISIS
present, but contemplate making their own smoke-
less powder. There are huge stacks of patent
Copp^ coke ovens, which have been boilt for years,
but never used. Machinery and plant imported
from Europe, both for works and Arsenal, are lying
about in all directions, never having been set up.
One is sorry to see such shameful wastd ; but at any
rate it seems clear that we have not much to fear
from China's competition in the iron, steel, and
engineering trades.
MHiITABY OOLLEGB
The following day we crossed again to Wuchang,
and proceeded to the Military College, over which
we were taken by Lieutenant Hoffinan, a German
officer, who is Chang Chih Tung's most trusted adviser
in military matters. Two other German officers
conduct the Military College, whilst five or six
Japanese officers are busily engaged in translating
Japanese books of military instruction into Chinese.
They have 70 cadets, sixteen to twenty years of
age, and 10 of these are going to Japan for one year's
training. The first class-youths were put through
their drill, and were smart and soldierlike. They
haveexcellentlivingandsleepingquarter8,largedining-
hall, and good class-rooms, also a fine gymnasium.
We also visited the barracks of the sappers and
miners and of the artillery. The men paraded and did
their marching and musket drill very efficiently. I
am told these are the Viceroy's show places, and that
they do not fairly represent the average condition of
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BBIOK-TBA PAOTOBY 126
his forces. He has 27,000 men, and out of these
only about 3,000 are^disciplined or properly trained.
They are armed with antiquated weapons or with
the unreliable produotions of the Han Yang
Arsenal. On the other hand, Lieutenant HofiGinan
spoke in the highest terms of his men, both as regards
conduct and efficiency. He declared he would not
hesitate to lead them anywhere.
BBIOK-TBA FAOTOBT
I was shown over a brick-tea factory by the
Scotch engineer. The machinery, including engines
and boilers, had come from England or Scotland.
The electric plant was supplied by Germany, simply
because the Germans came up from Shanghai to see
after the order, whilst the English firm only wrote a
letter.
Brick tea is made of tea dust and inferior tea
ground to a fine powder. It is then steamed for
two minutes over steaming pans covered by grid-
irons, muslin being placed on the top to receive the
tea. The tea is next poured into a wooden mould
and compressed by a machine with 80 tons pressure
on the brick. A finer tablet tea is dried for an hour
over charcoal instead of being steamed, then weighed
in quarter pounds, poured into a steel-lined box, and
compressed by hydraulic power, 40 tons pressure.
Each' cake or tablet is neatly packed in paper, and
then put into a bamboo basket, ready for transporta-
tion on camel or mule back to the heart of Bussia.
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126 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
It is to lessen difficulties of transport that the
tea is thns prepared.
CHINAMAN DYING ON BOADWAY UNOABBD FOB
Hmnan life seems of little value to the Chinese,
even though they worship their ancestors. At the
brick-tea factory they feed and house their workmen.
Near the entrance to their dwelling block I observed
a poor creature lying in a dying state on the stones
with only a bamboo mat to half cover him. The
roadway was crowded, but not a soul gave him the
slightest attention. I was told he would * peg out *
before the next morning. I protested against this
want of common humanity, only to receive the reply
that if I had been in China twenty years I should
have got accustomed to such sights. I went direct to
a missionary, who has a hospital within a stone's
throw of where I saw this sad sight, but he was
away from home and the hospital dosed.
Mr. Archibald Little not being able to go to
Chung-Eing, I ofGared to take as a guest a man from
the gunboat * Pigmy,* * Woodlark,' or * Woodcock,*
or some one from the British Consular body, so that
he might take observations and obtain information
calculated to advance British trade and interests.
The naval men had to decline because they were
obliged to communicate with the admiral, and did
not know where he was, and the Consular people
because Her Majesty's representative at Pekin
refused consent.
I inspected the river gunboat ' Woodlark.* She
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BIVBB GUNBOATS 127
had actoally been sent out without any sleeping
acoonunodation for the men. The Gbyenunent
profess they are going to patool the Yangtsze
for 1,600 miles, but the ' Esk,' * Pigmy,' ' Woodlark,'
and 'Woodcock' now on the river are quite in-
adequate. The 'Pigmy' has old breech-loading
instead of quick-firing guns, and to keep her spick
and span as regards paint the commander has to do
it at his own expense. A stock of Cardiff coal is
kept at Shanghai, Hankow, and Ichang for our
ships.
IHTBBVIEW WITH THB TAOTAI OF HANKOW
On Monday, October 2, the Taotai of Hankow
called upon me by appointment, in order to ask for
further information on behalf of the Viceroy in
regard to two or three matters which I had dis-
cussed with him at our interview. He was accom-
panied by one of the Viceroy's interpreters.
He had been instructed by the Viceroy to say
that he had considered my suggestions in reference
to the reorganisation of the military forces of China,
and he would be glad to seek the sanction of the
authorities at Pekin to send twenty students to
England for military training and thirty non-com-
missioned officers to be attached to the Indian Army,
half from Hankow and half from Pekin. I replied
that I would bring the matter before the authorities
at home, and endeavour to ascertain whether this
would be agreeable to them ; but I suggested that the
question of obtaining British officers to drill the
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128 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT GBISIS
Chinese soldiers should at the same time be also con-
sidered. I advised that negotiations be opened on
similar lines with Japan and America, and any other
countries who desire that the independence and
integrity of China should be preserved, with a view
to their co-operating in this work. I pointed out
that concerted action and assistance uniting the
influence of several Powers on behalf of China could
alone give any hope of success and prevent the
scheme being defeated by Bussia and France.
TRADB OF HANKOW
The trade of Hankow is enormous and rapidly
increasing. In 1897 the total value was over
7,000,0002. ; in 1898 it rose 14 per cent., and this
year 1899 is going to be a record year. As a merchant
said to me, * Trade in Hankow is booming.' Tea
is the principal export, and in May, June, and July
last 34 million pounds of tea were sold. A few
years ago Bussia bought all her tea in London ; now
she imports direct from Hankow, and refuses to
ship an ounce under a foreign flag. The tea is
carried exclusively by the Bussian Volunteer Fleet.
This is an object-lesson of how British trade will be
extinguished in China, so far as Bussia can do it.
British imports are cotton and woollen goods and
metals.
MISSIONABY WOBS
I called on the Bev. GrifSth John, of the London
Missionary Society, who told me they had baptised
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HANKOW TO lOHANQ 129
800 converts in the Hankow district last year. He
stated the Dowager-Empress had offered missionaries
a certain status and the right of audience with Chinese
officials. The Boman Catholics have accepted these,
but the Protestants are hesitating.
I made calls on the German, United States, and
Japanese Consuls, and found every disposition to co-
operate with England in these parts for the pro-
motion of trade.
FBOM HAKEOW TO ICHANG
I went on board the Japanese steamer ' Tayuen '
on Monday afternoon, October 2. This boat was to
takeme a further 400 miles up the Yangtsze tolchang,
where my experience of travelling in a Chinese junk
would begin.
No difficulties are met with in going from
Hankow to Ichang. We arrived in three days.
With regard to the character of the country. Up
to Ein-ho-kan, 116 miles from Hankow, at the
entrance to the Tung-Ting Lake, there are rich
flat alluvial plains on both sides of the river, from
which excellent crops of millet, indigo, sesame, &c.,
were being gathered. An occasional hill somewhat
relieved the monotony of the landscape. There
were many hamlets and frequent large villages all .
the way. The bed of the river averaged about
three-quarters of a mile wide, and in many places
large tracts of the adjacent plains were also sub-
merged.
The Tung-Ting Lake covers a considerable area
E
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130 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CEISIS
and has 6 to 12 feet of water in summer, but is dry in
winter, except certain riyer channels. The Seang-
yin Biver runs into it. About 8 miles away we
could see the Pagoda of Yo-Ghau-Fu, which has
recently been opened as a Treaty Port. The
anchorage is bad owing to a hard bottom. It is in
the Province of Hunan, which is said to be the most
anti-foreign in China. The scenery here became
bolder, as we had the Euin range of mountains, about
2,000 feet high, ten to fifteen miles inland.
SHA-SZE
The first considerable town we stopped at was
Sha-sze, which was opened as a Treaty Port under
the Treaty of Shimonoseki at the close of the
Ghino- Japanese war. Sha-sze is an unwalled town
with a noble stone embankment in three tiers, each
12 feet high, facing the river, which has a bund or
promenade on the top. This was built ages ago, in
the time of China's greatness, and is now being
allowed to decay. There were hundreds of junks
moored here, and a large trade is carried on between
this port and Szechuan. Manchester goods,
American watches and clocks, and kerosene oil are
amongst the goods brought hither by the Pin-ho
Canal from Hankow, and transhipped into the
Szechuan junks. The down cargoes from Szechuan
include salt, sugar, opium, tobacco, hemp, pepper,
spices, medicinal and other drugs, some silk and wax,
and a little gold.
Sha-sze is 800 miles up from Hankow. Two
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TIGEB TEBTH OOBGB 181
miles inland is the interesting Chinese walled city
of Ein-Chow, which has a garrison of 10,000
Manchu soldiers. In May last a riot took place in
Sha-Bze, when nearly the whole of the foreign settle-
ment was bnmt to the gronnd. The Europeans
escaped in boats. About 60 miles from Ichang the
enormous rich but monotonous plains of Hupeh
ended, and we had the Western Mountains in view.
Soon the river contracted considerably, not being
more than 600 yards wide when we reached the
Tiger Teeth Gtorge (Hu-ya-Tsia), about ten miles
below Ichang. Mr. Archibald Little says: 'This
gorge forms a break in the last of the cross-ranges,
athwart which the Yangtsze breaks its way from
the Szechuan plateau to the great Hupeh plain.'
Some of the cliffs and peaks rise to an altitude of
nearly 8,000 feet, and the scenery is grandly rugged
and impressive. I rested three days at Ichang,
preparatory to starting up-river in a Chinese house-
boat. Mr. Wilton, our excellent Consul, made me
heartily welcome.
SBA OF GRAVES
The Consulate, from its windows to the north,
east, and west, looks out on a sea of graves in the
form of mounds of earth. They literally stretch for
miles and miles. It is a curious sensation to feel
oneself thus encircled by countless numbers of the
dead. This is true to a large extent of many
Chinese cities, and prevents their extension, as the
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182 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CEISI8
Chinese will rarely allow even their oldest biirial-
gronnds to be built npon.
Ichang is a prosperous trading town of some
40|000 inhabitants. It is not a model place, as the
cheap opium and wine tempt the thousands who
navigate the river to and from the town.
The geological formation of this rugged region is
a coarse conglomerate, with sandstone sometimes
associated. On the summit of a conglomerate
pinnsbcle close by, 1,200 feet high, a Buddhist temple
is picturesquely situated. Pyramid-shaped hills and
vertical cliffs, 600 to 600 feet high, stretch along the
south bank of the river, backed by lofty mountains.
The Prefect Chun and Brigadier-Gteneial Fu called
on me, and informed me that the Viceroy had
telegraphed that a Chinese gunboat was to escort
me up the Yangtsze from this point. I, however,
declined this honour, but accepted what is known
as a red boat, or lifeboat, manned by picked China-
men, who wear a uniform with scarlet cloth front
and back, on which are Chinese characters in black.
I thought this would be a better safeguard in case
our Chinese houseboat was wrecked, and also be
more handy and useful generally. I found the new
river gunboat, * Woodcock,* had been lying here
since February last, and now her going up the
Yangtsze has been unaccountably countermanded,
no one knows why. This is a serious breach of the
distinct pledge given by the Government to patrol
the Yangtsze.
In returning the Brigadier-General's call I was
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A HOUSEBOAT 133
placed in a difficulty through his hospitality. Bowls
of soupi with garUci lotus, water chestnut, and
Heayen knows what else in it, were servedi which I
really could not tackle. A huge chunk of polenta
to be eaten with it was also beyond me. I was not
very well, so I begged to be excused eating on that
ground ; whereupon the good General became most
solicitous, and pressed first one remedy and then
another upon me.
Mr. Him Shan, Messrs. Jardine's agent, had
engaged the Chinese houseboat for me, and as there
was only a table and one chair in it, some time was
occupied in getting our provisions, kitchen cooking
equipment — ^including cooking-stoye — all fixed up.
The houseboat was about 60 feet long. In the bow
was a deck, open during the day, for working the
craft, but most ingeniously coyered in with bamboo
matting at night, so as to make a sleeping-room for
eighteen trackers, two pilots, fiye deck-hands, and
the cook. Behind this came my house, which was
just like a travelling carayan fixed on a boat instead
of on wheels, and divided into three compartments.
It was most roughly put together, and had chinks
into which you could put your fingers. These I had
stuffed with cotton- wool, and then papered over with
strips of paper inside. The interior was painted red
and roughly decorated with gilt. Behind this was
an open space, where the rudder was worked, and
beyond that the compartment occupied by the
captain (Lao-ta), his wife, and four little children.
In addition to the rudder, there is fixed in the
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134 OmNA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
bow a hnge bow-sweep, which acts as a second
rudder, to be employed if the vessel becomes on-
goyemable and is not answering her helm. The
houseboat (koa-tza) has a hnge mast and sail, which
are of great service whenever a fair wind comes.
Altogether there were to be thirty-eight sonls sleeping
on board this craft in connection with my expedition,
which was, therefore, rather an extensive under-
taking. Mr. Him Shan had had a huge flag pre-
pared, with my name in Chinese characters. In
Chinese, Walton is * Wha-li-Tun,' which means the
* flower of propriety.'
I had to get a supply of money for use up country
of the most odd description. Gold and silver coins
and paper money are unknown. Pieces of silver
called sycee are used, and are valued according to
weight ; but the chief medium of exchange is a
round metal coin about the size of a halfpenny with
a square hole in the centre. These are strung
together, and 850 of them are worth 2$. They are,
of course, heavy and difficult to carry. As my
kua-tza moved off to the other side of the river,
where I was to join her next morning, the Chinese
gunboat gave her a salute of three guns, and
crackers were discharged all around. The latter
were to chin-chin their Joss for good luck on the
voyage.
To their shame the British have had no complete
survey made of the Yangtsze Biver since 1861. In
a river of its changing character old charts are
useless. On the other hand, though they have not
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BIVBB SUBVBY 136
a tithe of our trade^ the French Jesuit prieets have
completed a new survey, which I proved to be most
accurate, and which was invaluable. This shows
great negligence on the part of our officials who are
responsible for having surveys made.
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186 OmNA AND THE PBESBNT 0EISI8
CHAPTEE Vni
THE UPPEB YANGTBZE EXPEDITION
Mt starting-point — Ichang — is no less than 1,100
miles from the sea, and here the majestic Yangtsze
is about three-quarters of a mile wide, even at this
season of the year. In smnmer, when at its highest,
it is much more. The usual difference between
the highest and the lowest water is sixty to seventy
feet, and it has reached nearly 100 feet. Fortunately,
the river had fallen rapidly during the previous ten
days, and on October 9, when I set out, it might be
regarded as in a medium condition. Captain Plant,
who had had ten years' experience in navigating
rapids on the Earun Biver, in Persia, accompanied
me, to take charge of Mr. Little's steam-launch
when we met her. We had telegraphed to have the
launch sent down to Patung, some sixty miles above
Ichang, so that we might change into her, or we
might decide to have the ' kua-tza ' towed, as would
best facilitate our journey.
TANOTSZE TBAOEBBS
We got under way about 9.30, and as there was
no fair wind our trackers were soon on the towpath^
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THE BIVEB TBAOEEBS 1S7
Bwaiming up slopes and around blnSs, uttering their
musical cries to enable them to keep step. When
out of sight a drum was beaten to guide them as
to when to go ahead. The hawsers are made of
bamboo strips twisted into a rope, and will stand an
enormous strain. The trackers put a broad band
over one shoulder, across the chest, and under the
armpit, and attach this to the rope by a thong
having a large round flat button at its end. In this
way all their drawing power is brought to bear.
The trackers are a fine set of men, who look in the
pink of condition. I greatly envied them their
muscles standing out like whipcord. I found both
trackers and crew as contented, merry, and good-
natured a lot of travelling companions as I ever
desire to have. Unfortunately, no fair wind came to
our assistance for some days, and our progress was
disappointingly slow.
AN UNSUITABLE OBAFT
I soon discovered that I had got the very worst
type of craft for making a rapid journey. She was too
heavy and unwieldy altogether, just like lead in the
water. In order to encourage the men to put their
backs into it I made them daily presents of cash
vnth which to buy pork, which is the Chinaman's
greatest luxury. Their food is known as ' chow,' and
they think a great deal about it. So long as they
get good chow they are as happy as the days are
long.
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188 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
OHINESB OOOZS
The Chinese are splendid oooks» and it was
yery interesting to watch them preparing food in the
cleyeresti cleanest, and most scientific fashion with
the scantiest appliances. They are largely yegeta-
rians, and rice, accompanied by all kinds of yegetables
in an appetising f orm, and also» if possible, by pork,
is what they like best, and on this food they thriye
splendidly.
To see them all squatting around, emptying by
their chop-sticks basin after basin with the greatest
gusto, made one feel that their occupation is con-
duciye to health. They neyer take liquid with their
meals, but drink tea before or after them. They only
drink hot water — haying a strong objection to cold
beyerages.
The torrent of water we had to get oyer, as it
swept through the gorges or swirled around in
whirlpools in some broader part of the riyer aboye
and below a gorge, often almost beat us back, and
then our progress was inch by inch.
BBOESN ADBIFT
Once our rope broke, and we careered down the
riyer in a few moments the distance we had taken
hours to ascend. There was some danger of our
capsizing if we turned sideways in the rapid; but
eyery man on board was at his post and did the
right thing as coolly as if nothing had happened.
The Chinese seem to be without the instinct that
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BIVBB JUNKS 189
would prompt them to assist any one in a difficulty.
We swept helplessly down past hmidreds of jnnks
mooted along the shore, and not one tried to throw
us a rope or put off a boat to help ns. Our own
lifeboat had been nearly swamped, but it was only
when she overtook us and took a line ashore that our
downstream trip ended.
POBPOISBS
We had a series of rapids and whirlpools to pass,
and the porpoises which had kept us company the
entire distance from the sea here bade us farewell —
they cannot face ^ chow-chow ' water.
The next best thing to having Mr. Archibald Little
with me was to have his book, * Through the Yangtsze
Gorges,' which gave me invaluable information as to
the character of the river and the objects of interest
to be seen. He tells us that, of the junks making
the trip from Ichang to Chung-King and back, one
in every ten is stranded and one in every twenty
totally wrecked. This gives some idea of the
dangerous navigation.
The trade on the Yangtsze carried on by junks is
very great. It is estimated that there are 6,000 of
them, employing 100 men each, which means half a
million of men. This is apart from the hundreds of
shore trackers waiting at every big rapid to give
additional assistance.
During the trip we were all up at 4.30 every
morning, and went to bed at 8. 1 often walked with
the trackers when they were on shore, and looked
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140 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
after getting extra men at the rapids. We had
tLsoally two hawsers out, and it was essential to
safety that both should be straight and taut before
starting to haul up the houseboat.
THB TBH-TAN BAPID
One. of the most formidable of the rapids is the
Yeh-tan. When we arrived about thirty junks were
in front of us, and to take our turn would have meant
a detention of two days. One function of a red boat
is to secure priority over cargo junks, so we worked
round them into position. The rapid was running
probably 18 knots an hour. We put out two
hawsers, bui one of them got fast round a rock
and was curved, thus drawing the 'kua-tza' out
of the proper channel. Instead of waiting till this
was set right the Lao-ta kept signalling to haul
away, with the result that our rotten old vessel,
having a tremendous current on one side and a
powerful eddy on the other, shipped a lot of water,
and all but capsized. Then, after righting herself, she
struck on a rock, making a big hole in her hull. We
got about 120 trackers on the hawsers and brought
her up quickly into the smooth water above. Here
we cleared the hold and plugged the hole with a bale
of cotton. After baling out the water the Chinese set
to work to put an inner lining over the damaged
part to enable us to proceed on our voyage, and
very cleverly they did it. The broken wood was
quite rotten, and the houseboat neither had the
stability nor was in proper condition for safely
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(3HINBSB SBBVANTS 141
negotiating such vicioiis water. The whirlpools,
where cross-cnrrents rushed and swirled with terrible
force in every direction, were even more dangerous,
because onr unwieldy craft swerved right and left,
with the constant liability of striking a submerged
rock. We moored at night, but managed ten hours'
work a day : one day we made only four miles, and
another five. At the end of nine days, when to our
great joy the steam-launch hove in sight, we had
covered seventy-nine miles, or not quite nine miles a
day.
CHINBSB SBBVANTS
I was most fortunate in my personal attendants.
One boy acted as cook, and did splendidly in a kitchen
not four feet square, in which the cooking-stove was
fixed.
How he managed to turn us out such a variety
of beautifully cooked, wholesome food was a marvel.
I was told you could not get fresh meat or food up
the Yangtsze. However, our boy was constantly on
the look-out, and picked up a fish or chicken or fresh
eggs day by day. At some few places he got what
he called beef and mutton, which I was afterwards
told was really buffalo and goat; however, that
didn't matter — it was wholesome, and with our
appetites we thought we never had eaten better beef
and mutton in our lives.
AH SAM
I had one Chinese boy who acted as interpreter ;
he had been fourteen years in the British Navy, and
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U2 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OEISIS
was of the greatest possible service. He rejoiced in
the carioiLS name of Ah Sam I His worst fonlt was
fondness for drink, which, perhaps, he acquired m
our Navy ; but he never took it until after his work
was done at night. When I paid him off at Ichang
I urged him not to go ashore and waste his money,
but he arrived at Hankow vnth a broken head, got in
a drunken row. He again promised me that it should
be the last time. I could have obtained for hm a
capital situation on board the gunboat ' Woodcock '
but for this faihng. Wherever I travel, be it in
Asia, Airica, or America, I have had the invariable
experience that if one treats the natives vnth reason-
able consideration they render good service. As a
rule truth, however, must not be expected.
CHIN-OHINNING JOSS
On the ' kua-tza,' every night after mooring the
Lao-ta (skipper) did what is known as chin-chinning
his Joss.
The ceremony consists of vigorously beating a
gong and then firing crackers. It is an acknow-
ledgment of protection afforded during the day,
and a tribute of respect paid in the hope of propitia-
ting and securing favour and help from their god
during the next day. On the day we had done only
four miles I ventured to suggest that they should
chin-chin their Joss a second time, which they
promptly did, and, lo and behold I we accomplished
twelve and a half miles the next day.
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OHINBSB CBOWDS 148
WATBB SUPPLY
The water of the river was thick and muddy, so
it was necessary to put it into large earthenware
vessels called kongs to settle. After that I had it
passed through a filter, and then we had lovely water
as clear as crystal.
ATTITXTDB OF THB OHINESB
During the whole of my 3,200 miles up and down
the Tangtsze Valley I landed everywhere and moved
freely amongst the Chinese. I never met with in-
civility once, but, on the contrary, with great courtesy
and politeness everywhere. At the rapids, where
himdreds of trackers are engaged, you would naturally
expect to find a rowdy element, but I saw no sign of
it. The people were curious, and if I was putting
down something in my notebook a crowd would
watch me write, and they would come and touch my,
to them, extraordinary-looking clothes. Scores, if
not hundreds, would accompany me in my walk
through a town or village.
OUB MTSTBBIOUS VBSSBL
The whole population turned out at every town
and village to see our launch pass. A boat forging
her way up stream without a tow-rope, sail, or
rowers, was indeed a mystery and a wonder. When
we blew the steam-whistle many ran away, others
put their fingers in their ears, and the rest laughed
with astonishment and delight.
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144 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT CBISIS
STONED BY THB OHINBSB
At one place only had we anything in the nature
of an attack, and that was at the town of Wan-
Hsien. Many thousands of Chinese were massed on
a steep sandbank, against which we were moored,
when a quarrel arose between the shoremen who
were coaling us and the boatmen of a sampan who
were bringing people to see the launch. They first
spat in each other's faces, and then seized hold of
each other's pigtails; whereupon the crowd took
sides, and in an instant showers of stones were flying
around the launch, smashing the engine-room sky-
light, cracking a port deadlight, and knocking a
comer off the after-compartment. I was sitting
writing in front of an open window facing the crowd,
but the windows on each side had the outside wooden
shutters up. Stones banged against these, but none
came in. Captain Plant took his Martini-Henry
and I my loaded revolver (in my pocket) on deck,
and after we appeared not another stone was thrown.
So the attack was clearly not directed against us, and
therefore not anti-foreign.
Our red boatmen had arrested three of the rioters,
and tied them together by their pigtails. I untied
these in face of the crowd and sent them off. I after-
wards topk five photographs of the people, and we
left the place without the slightest further sign of
hostility.
WRECKS AND WBEOEAGE ON THE YANGTSZE
In the course of our trip we found scores of
smashed-up jxmks on the rocks, and junks floating
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GECINEBE WEATHER 116
bottom nppermost down stream. Bales of Man-
chester goods, tins of kerosene oil, and boxes of other
goods floated past us daily. One junk had been
swept into the cleft of some rocks thkty to forty
feet above the present level of the riyer, apparently
uninjured, and another was left high and dry on a
sandbank forty or fifty feet np.
WBATHEB
I had expected almost continuous sunshine and
no rain, but for twelve days we never saw the sun,
and during four nights it rained in torrents. For-
tunately, the days were free from rain, as the one
thi ng a Ch inaman won't dp is to work in even the
slightest jrain. Though dull it was not cold. The
greatest drawback to me was that I could not take
effective photographs of the grand scenery through
which I was passing. The city of Chung-King— my
destination — is said to be usually enveloped in haze,
if not in actual fog.
SOENBBY
I must attempt a brief description of the scenery
and of the character of the country.
For three miles above Ichang the river is about
three-quarters of a mile wide. When we reach the
Ichang gorge it suddenly narrows to 300-400 yards,
and soon grand and impressive scenery surrounds us,
Perpendicular clifb rise on each side. There is no
towpath, and in the absence of a favourable wind
progress can only be made by working the yulohs
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116 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT GBISIS
(oars) and by clawing the rook with boathooks.
Limestone is the principal rock, and it is quarried
for building purposes. Some of the perpendicular
faces of rocky peaks, needles, and square clifiGs are
very fine. One pinnacle of limestone, almost like a
miniature Matterhom, is said to be 1,800 feet high,
whilst some huge clifGs, bleached white, are given by
different authorities as 2,500 and 3,000 feet.
Picturesque houses — bamboo framework and walls,
and thatched with reeds and grasses — abound wher-
ever a break in the gorge occurs. They are
surroxmded by clumps of bamboos, orange and
pomola trees. The women and children were shy ;
whenever they saw me approaching they ran into
their houses and hid themselves. We saw some
lovely natural grottoes, with creepers gracefully over-
hanging, including Virginia creeper. Maidenhair
and other ferns and rock plants were growing luxu-
riantly.
MONEETS
At one place, where they depend on the Indian
com raised for food, we were told that a few weeks
before hundreds of monkeys had come down from
the mountains and carried it all off.
LUEAN GOBGB
Our next great gorge was the Lukan, which at
points nfiUTows to 450 yards, and extends about
three miles. The precipitous slopes, rising 2,500
feet, are clothed with brushwood wherever any soil
can lodge. The strong silent current ran four or
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KWBI-OHOW 147
five knots, but, fortunately, an upstream breeze came
to the rescue, and we sailed along merrily. The
trackers and crew were delighted, as it gave them
practically a holiday.
The third great gorge was the Mitsang, where
the cliffs closed in, and the effect in the gloaming
was weird and impressive. We stuck in the gorge
owing to a head wind, and could not move for hours.
KWBI-CHOW
The old city of Kwei-Chow was the first place of
any size we reached, and is forty-one miles from
Ichang. Below and opposite to it the whirlpools
were strong and dangerous. I crossed the river in
the red boat to send a telegram (and, by the by, it
cost 68. for seven words, though only an inland
messeige), and in returning we were drawn into the
vortex of a whirlpool and went round and round.
We could not cross it, and with the greatest difficulty
got out again on the side on which we entered.
OHINESB GOAL
A few miles beyond Kwei-Chow I found coal of
fair quality was being worked by tunnels into a
vertical seam two feet wide between two faces of
rock. Men were carrying it in baskets on their
backs down a ravine. The lumps were separated,
and the small was then converted into briquettes.
The process is to mix a proportion of loam with the
coal, add water, and then knead the mass with the
bare feet. It is then pressed by hand into small
L 2
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lis CHINA AND THE PBBBENT GBIBIS
oironlar wooden moulds^ and afterwards turned out
and set to dry.
THB WUSHAK GOBGB
The Wnshan gorge, halfway through which is
the boundary between the Provinces of Hupeh and
Szechuan — ^the point where we changed to the launch
— ^is no less than twenty miles long, but in some
places only 800 to 400 yards wide. When doing the
first part of the gorge in our houseboat, at places
where the cliffs rose perpendicularly on both sides
and the current was too strong for our rowers, the
red boat would take out a line 200 to 800 yards
ahead and fasten it to a projection of rock, then
those on board would draw the houseboat up stream
by hauling in the line. At other places the services
of our swimming trackers (Tai-wan-ti) were re-
quisitioned. Two or three of these are engaged for
every boat. They spend half their time naked as
Adam, ready to dive into the river to disentangle
towing ropes from rocks or to take out lines wherever
needed. These men swim magnificently, and enjoy
the best of health, rarely taking cold. The water in
Wushan gorge is declared to be unfathomable. We
passed what looked like slate rock tilted vertically,
VTith partings every inch or so. The predominant
rock was hard limestone, but masses of granitic
rock and of black vitriolised slag were scattered
about with terribly jagged edges, making this a
(dangerous stretch of water to navigate. The gorge
continued narrow, and had high imposing cUfifs on
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THE STEAM-LAUNCH U9
the left, with a pathway out in the face of the
rock. On the right were triangnlar mountains,
with rock faces of grey and red ochre shades of
colouring, rising up to not less than 2,000 feet;
then beyond were sheer ciiBs 1,600 feet high, and a
pinnacle of rock 2,500 feet. Huge and beautifully
wooded ravines intersected these mountains right
and left. Without exception it was by far the
grandest and most impressive river scenery I have
met with. All through, in every cleft of the
rocks, scrubby bushes grew, furnishing green or
autumn-tinted foliage to relieve the bareness of the
rock slopes. At the end of the gorge is Wushan
Hsien, and this was my first sight of a Szechuan
town.
TEANSHIPPING TO STEAM-LAUNCH
On the morning of October 18 we were glad
indeed to transfer ourselves, bag and baggage, into
the steam-launch ' Leechuen,' which my friend Mr.
Archibald Little had so kindly placed at my disposal.
Our Lao-ta and all on board the ' kua-tza ' tried hard
to persuade us to go on in her ; but I could not afford
the time, and, besides, I wished to have the experience
of making the trip up to Chung-Eing by steam. At
last they submitted gracefully to the inevitable, and,
being consoled by a good present, did all they could
to facilitate an early start. We left amid salvoes of
crackers for good luck and a multitude of chin-chins
from the Lao-ta and crew. We had 378 miles to
do— having covered only seventy-nine miles in nine
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160 CHINA AND THE PHESENT CBISIS
days in the houseboat — and this we accomplished
in nine days more, in spite of great difficulties— being
an average of forty-two miles per day in the launch,
as compared with nine in the houseboat. The usual
time occupied is thirty to forty days, so my eighteen
were considered exceptionally good time.
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161
CHAPTER IX
TEE VOYAGE UP THE TANGTSZE-^onUnued
Wb could have done much better had the launch
been in good working order and suitable as regards
size, build, and steaming power. She had been in
the hands of Chinese engineers for two years, and
the engines were all to pieces. Her length was
only 45 feet, and tonnage 7^^ tons, and instead of
having water-tight compartments and being con-
structed of 3*16 mild steel, I found the shell was
1 inch of teak, and that a hole bumped in her
would mean being at the bottom of the river in a
few minutes. Worse than this, there was no donkey-
engine and no hand feed-pumps, whilst the feed-
pumps attached to the engine were insufficient to
keep the boiler properly supplied with water when
steaming through difficult water at 175 lb. pressure.
At such times the water nearly disappeared from the
gauge glass, and we had to stop over and over again,
draw the fires, and refill the boiler by pouring water
through the steam-pipe. I suspect the danger of an
explosion was frequently considerable, and as I sat in
the cabin writing, with my back to the boiler, I often
wondered if it would burst like a bomb. To make
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162 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBIBIS
matters worse, the joint of the main steam-pipe next
the boiler gave way, and we had no means of repairing
it. To orown all, the maximum speed proved to be
only seven knots, so she had to be hauled over the
worst rapids in the same way as the houseboat.
Under these conditions our journey was an exciting
one. We never knew from moment to moment that
a breakdown would not occur and strand us altogether.
All we could do was to be on the alert constantly
and leave nothing undone to keep her going. Captain
Plant understood boilers and machinery thoroughly,
or we could not have reached Chung-Eing by steam.
Several times the launch heeled over, so that water
came into the engine-room and cabin, and once in a
rapid the hawsers had to be cut with a hatchet to
prevent her going down. In whirlpools we had her
careering all over, and occasionally she shied at a
piece of stiff water and bolted right round. We
fortunately had a splendid crew of ten men in the
red boat alongside, [or we could not have ventured
to continue our efforts. As it happened, we came
out of it safe and sound ; but knowing the river as I
now do, and also the launch, I certainly could not be
induced to undertake the trip a second time in so
unsuitable a vessel.
KWBI-OHOW-PXJ
The gorges proper end at Kwei-chow-fu, 108
miles from Ichang. This is an important prefectural
city in a wide open valley. The Prefect and the
Commander of the Military Forces called on me, and
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A CHINBSB PBBSBNT 163
offered an escort of two red boats to accompany me
to Chimg-Eing. I accepted one boat, but had her
manned with ten men instead of six, so as to have
them available as trackers in case the lanqch broke
down. When I returned the visits of the officials at
the Yam6n, I passed along comparatively clean streets
paved vnth large slabs of stone and lined with good
Chinese shops. Some of the streets were covered
overhead vdth bamboo avming. I received a salute
of three guns on entering and leaving the Yam6n,
and the streets were lined with people. I vras much
struck with the fine physique of the inhabitants of
the Yangtsze Valley generally, and of Szechuan
Province particularly. They are all well dressed, too,
and have a distinct air of prosperity. Just as our
launch was leaving there arrived alongside a most
generous present from the Prefect — a ham, a leg of
mutton, a chicken and a live duck, also boxes oJE
Chinese cakes, dried fish, and vermicelli — which was
a most useful contribution towards replenishing our
larder. According to Chinese etiquette only one or
two of these offerings ought to have been accepted
and the rest returned. My boy retained them all I
When the river is low, holes are dug in the sand
near this city, from which salt brine is dravm and
then evaporated.
CHINBSB OFFIOIALS
At every place where we stopped the Mandarins
immediately called and offered me every assistance
in their power. Their politeness and grace of bear-
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164 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT OBISIS
ing were charming, even though m their hearts they
might be looking down with contempt upon the
' foreign devil.' It was, no donbt, the instractions of
the powerful Viceroy Chang Chih Tung that secured
me so much attention.
SZBGHUAN
This magnificent province, with sixty millions of
prosperous, industrious people, through which the
rest of my journey lay, is full of interest. The
valley opened out ; there were frequent bays on the
river, where, all surrounded by mountains of purple
colouring, one could imagine oneself among the
heather-clad hills of Scotland and on a Scottish loch.
This continued for hundreds of miles, and arose
from the pinkish-red colour of the soil, indicative, I
imagine, of the presence of iron. In place of lime-
stone and granite there were eroded masses of sand-
stone everywhere, of the most varied forms — cones,
crags, and pillars, sometimes three or four tiers rising
one above another. The country was better wooded
and had most fertile soil, every yard of which is
cultivated. The alluvial soil next the river is
ploughed deeply, and grows two crops a year, one
being reaped in April or May, and the second one
later. Commodious picturesque homesteads are
studded everywhere, nestling in groves of bamboo,
cedars, and Tung-tsu (varnish-oil trees), with their
large and beautiful shining leaves. The houses are
white, with overhanging roofs, and the black wood
framework shows through at the gable ends and
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A PEOSPBBOUS PBOVINOE 166
sidesy jxLBt like a Swiss chalet. They have, indeed,
every appearance of peaceful happy homes in a land
of civilisaidon, and showed me how ignorant I had
been of China and the Chinese. Opium is largely
produced in Szechuan, and the poppy, with its dark
green leaves and white, red, and purple tulip-like
flowers, makes the landscape gorgeous in the spring.
The sugar cane flourishes, and tobacco, tea, hemp,
beans, peas, millet, wheat, barley, indigo, and the
castor-oil plant are also grown. Among the fruits
are oranges, pomolas, persimmons, pomegranates,
melons, peaches, apricots, and walnuts. All kinds
of vegetables are produced in profusion. On the
principle of 'our content being our best having,'
I should judge that these people are to be envied.
I am, however, told that extortionate and corrupt
officials often largely rob these industrious workers
of the fruits of their toil. This was practically the
character of the country for 350 miles from Kwei-
chow-fu to Chxmg-King.
ABSBNOB OF BIBDS ANB ANIMAL LIFE
One thing that struck me was the absence of
wild birds and four-footed animals on the Upper
Yangtsze, and I never met any one who could explain
to me the why and the wherefore.
NOVBL DUOK-BBAEING
. On the other hand, domestic fowls are very
numerous. I saw immense bands of ducks being
driven out by Chinamen, and it is very interesting
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166 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
to observe the perfect manner in which a duck-keeper
manages his troop. He will tnm them into a paddy-
field with the growing rice, where they can feed at
leisure on the smaller aquatic animals, and you see
nothing but the quivering of the stalks of the paddy ;
but immediately he makes a peculiar call, or rattles
a spUt bamboo, out come some hundreds of these
intelligent creatures on the banks, and at his com-
mand file off VTith military precision to some other
feeding-ground.
GOLD
On some of the gravel beds of the Yangtsze they
wash the sand and shingle in rockers, and endeavour
to find and extract particles of gold, which they
believe is washed down from the mountains of Tibet.
The jaeld, however, is so small that only the poorest
people work at this laborious employment.
FBNQ-TU-CHBNa
We passed several other towns on the way to
Chung-King, to which I vdll not refer ; but the
ancient walled city of Feng-tu, i.e. ' The Abundant
Capital,' close to which is Tien-tsze Shan, ' Mountain
of the Son of Heaven,' must not be omitted. The
Temple is dedicated to the Emperor of the ' Yin,' or
dead. It is celebrated over the whole eighteen
provinces of China, as at every death the officiating
Taoist priest indites a despatch to the Tien-tsze,
duly addressed to Feng-tu-Cheng, notifying him of
the newcomer. This despatch is, however, not sent
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OHUNG-KING 167
through the terrestrial post, but by the oelestial road,
being burnt to ashes. I am. indebted to Mr. Little
for this information.
ABBIVAL AT OHUKO-EINa
On the morning of October 27 we were steaming
up past that portion of the city known as Eiang-
pei-ting, and only separated from Chung-King proper
by the £ia-ling Biver, which there flows into the
Yangtsze. Soon we were abreast of the imposing-look-
ing city, with its fine old walls built on sandstone ciiBs
70 to 80 feet high. Several pagodas and many white
houses make the outside view of the city picturesque.
A lot of green moss on the sandstone indicated a very
damp climate. Several houses facing the river had
highly decorated f a9ades — black and gilt, with orna-
mental work of an elaborate and fantastic character.
The great river here, though nearly 1,600 miles from
the sea, was not less than two-thirds of a mile wide
even at this low season. On the left bank stretched
a suburb with a range of conical well- wooded hills,
1,600 feet high, in the background. We were quickly
moored at that side, close to Mr. Archibald Little*s
hong, and received a cordial welcome from his agent,
Mr. Nicholson. The terrace in front of the house com-
manded a fine view of the dty and of two reaches of
the river. I obtained some exercise by climbing up
1,600 feet to call on the English Consul at his hiU
bungalow.
The British Consulate in Chung-Eing is a dilapi-
dated insanitary old Chinese house, overrun with
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158 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT C5EISIS
rats and surrounded by filth, so it is little wonder
that the British representative escapes to the hills.
The French and the United States have splendid new
Consulates. Seeing the great influence that this sort
of thing has on Orientals, it is false economy to have
let twenty years elapse since this place was made a
Treaty Port without putting our Consul in a position
to represent us suitably.
I was invited to be the guest of Mr. Davidson, of
the Friends' Mission, but met him unexpectedly, while
on his way to Shanghai to see his brother, who had
been seriously injured by the Chinese, off to England.
In his absence I stayed with Mr. Nicholson.
Chung-King is a huge town with a population of
400,000, and ncurow, crowded, and picturesque streets.
We rested two days, preparatory to the return
journey.
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159
CHAPTEE X
A BECOBD JOUBNEY IN THE INTERIOR
I HAVE now returned in safety from the interior of
China, having accomplished a jommey of 8,200 miles
over her greatest inland waterway in about half the
time usually occupied.
THE POLITIOAIi AND OOMMBBOIAIi SITUATION IN
SZBCHUAN
Before describing my return journey I wish to
refer briefly to the political and commercial situation
in the great populous and most western province of
China, Szechuan.
The inhabitants are exceptionally prosperous, and
the volume of trade is likely to increase phenome-
nally. We have an agreement with France, of
January 1896, in which each nation pledges itself
to use its best offices to obtain for the other greater
facilities to trade in Yunnan and Szechuan on
equal terms and conditions. I find, however,
that France has entirely disregarded that agree-
ment; that she is energetically seeking not only
exclusive rights and privileges for herself, but also
to prevent our obtaining similar advantages. France
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160 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CBISIS
is represented by able diplomatists who are most
active^ and the whole proyince is covered by missions
under French Jesuit priests, who, whilst they are
very successful in their mission work, also give
invaluable assistance to their countrymen by the
coromercial, geological, and political information
they convey to them. The power and influence of
the fathers with the Chinese are immense. They
have made a geological survey of the whole province,
and the French Qovemment are demanding from the
Chinese Government the exclusive right to work
minerals in six of the richest districts as compensa-
tion for attacks made upon their missionaries.
The French have also a considerable number of
engineers surveying in order to ascertain the best
railway route from the colony of Tonquin through
Yunnan into Szechuan. They are actively engaged
in constructing the southern part of this line, and
have already railway material on the ground for
continuing it northwards. The French Government
are determined, apparently, to thus tap the trade of
South-west China ahead of us in the hope not of
sharing with but of excluding us.
On the other hand, instead of having begun to
build a railway from British Burma to Chung King
on the Yangtsze two years ago, as a question of high
imperial policy — ^not only as a counterpoise to the
Bussian Sib^an-Manchurian and Trans-Caspian
Bailways, but also to safeguard British commercial
interests in South-west China — Her Majesty's
Government have folded their arms and done nothing.
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A COMPETENT CONSUL 161
They have not even had surveyB started to inyesti-
gate and determine the most practicable route. This
neglect to secure us an equal opportunity to trade in
the greatest undeveloped market in the world will
seriously hinder the prosperity and well-being of the
British people in the future.
BBinSH OONSTTIi AT CHUNa KINa
We had an admirable and energetic representative
in Mr. Litton, and because he was exceedingly active
he was recalled. In short, British interests, whether
political or commercial, in South-west China are
being disregarded by our Government, composed,
as it unfortunately is, too largely of men who are
ignorant of the trade requirements of the country.
HOW A CHINAMAN OVBEREAGHBD HIMSELF
We had a pilot on the launch up to Chung
King who thought he was indispensable, and
actually demanded 201. in advance before he would
start on the return trip of three days. To his
surprise we told him his services were not required,
and to clear out. We got a much better man, who
was more than satisfied with 10^. a day. The first
man was then willing to go for even less, but I
refused to re-engage him.
TJNPTJNOTUALITY OF CHINAMEN
Chinamen have no idea of punctuality. Our new
pilot was to be on board at 5 a.m. on October 29, but
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162 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CRISIS
did not come nntil 7.80, and then wba surprised that
I thought he was late. We got under way at
once and started down stream with the hearty good-
byes of a group of Chung-Eing European residents
sounding in our ears. At 5.80 we moored at Eao-
Kia-Tcheng» having done in ten hours what took us
thirty-four hours' steaming in going up.
Sm-T'AN, OB NEW RAPID
The next day we had to shoot the Sin-t'an, or
New Bapid, where the whirlpools were terrific. We
were tossed to and fro like a cork, and but for Capt.
Plant's splendid steering the chances of our striking
a rock would have been very great. At the end of
the second day we had done in twenty hours' steam-
ing what ninety-six hours were required to ac-
complish in the journey up.
The following day, in passing Kwei-Ohow-fu, I
called on the Prefect and took him a present of
English biscuits, tinned fruits, &c., which seemed to
please him very much.
We swept down the gorges and various rapids at a
high speed. This was the only way to prevent
swerving out of the main channel on to the rocks.
At the Niu Kan-t'an Whirlpool we were drawn
in and heeled right over, so that the water came into
the cabin and engine-room. For a moment, as the
launch hung in the balance, I thought we were
going under ; then she righted herself, and the danger
was over.
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PASSING A BAPID 168
1?HB TEH-T'AN rapid
We shot the Yeh-t'an Bapid, which was numing
thirte en to f ourte onJmots, at not less than eighteen
or nineteen knots. The water was very rough : big
waves were rolling in the main current, not only
down stream, but eddies and currents brought cross-
waves curling towards us from each side. There
were more than two hundred big junks waiting
below the rapid until it moderated, and it was fool-
hardy on our part to shoot it in a little launch only
forty-five feet long. However, before we knew
where we were, or had any time to think, we were
in it, surrounded by surging, rolling waters. Our
safety lay in keeping the launch right in the centre
of the main current. Any swerving to one side, and
we should have been rolled over and over. Fortu-
nately we went straight through, soaked to the skin,
but not any the worse otherwise. It was indeed an
excitifig experience and a hazardous venture. Our
red boat did not fare so well. She was chucked right
up into the air, and smacked back on to the water
repeatedly, until she was liberated by both her tow
ropes snapping off like pieces of thread. Luckily,
both gave way at once, or we might have dragged
her under. We lost her protection in case we came
to grief. Beyond a bruised hand, no one was
injured. We had to get through a series of strong
whirling pieces of water opposite and just below
Kwei-Ohow, and were rushed out of our course in
a somewhat alarming fashion. Our difficulties were
then over.
M 2
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164 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OBISIS
THB QUICKEST TBIP ON EBOOBD
At 9.30 on November 1 we reached Ichang,
having done the 457 miles from Chung King to
Ichang in thirty-one honrs' steaming. This is the
quickest trip on record, I am told.
FIBST PASSAGE DOWN BAPIDS AND WHIBLPOOLS
BY STEAM
What was more gratifying to me was the fact
that I had made the first passage downstream by
steam power. Mr. Archibald Little was the first
to go up by steam and I the second. Everybody
was astonished to see us back at Ichang so soon.
ICHANG TO HANKOW
The next day I left Ichang for Hankow on Her
Majesty's gunboat 'Woodcock.* Captain Watson
was good enough to allow me to go down with him
in order that I should not be stranded for a week
waiting for a steamer. Curiously enough, we reached
Hankow in thirty-one hours' steaming — 376 miles —
so that I had done 833 miles from Chung-Eing
in sixty-two hours. The weather was cool and
bracing, and, fortunately, the mosquitoes had
vanished. I find the * Woodcock ' and * Woodlark '
are not suitable for navigating the upper Yang-
tsze, and will try and ascertain at home who is
responsible for the blunder. The plates are less than
one-eighth of an inch in thickness instead of three-
sixteenths; the speed only eleven, whereas it should be
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PATBOLLING THE BIVEB 166
sixteen knots ; and they ought to be paddle-wheelers
and not twin-screw boats. The paddles are most
nsefnl to steer with if the boat fails to answer to her
hehn. To be of any real service gunboats sent to
patrol the upper Yangtsze must be able to go any-
where at any time — ^no matter what the state of the
river may be — and if built on the lines I have indi-
cated they could do it.
Not an hour's delay should take place in carry-
ing out the Government's pledge in regard to this
matter. Mr. Little will have a cargo steamer on the
river early next year, and it YnH, in all probability,
need protection. It vdll take a long time to acquire
accurate knowledge of the river, and it is unpardon-
able that the ' Woodcock ' and ' Woodlark ' should
not have been allowed to gain all possible knowledge
and experience of it during last year. If the Govern-
ment's policy of drift continues, we shall be fore-
stalled by the Japanese or the Germans. The latter
are building two boats to run vnth cargo on the upper
reaches of the river.
I was two days in Hankow and then returned
direct by steamer to Shanghai.
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166 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
CHAPTEB XI
SHANGHAI TO HONG KONG
I LBFT Shanghai on November 14, on the French
mail steamer * Sydney/ bound for Hong Kong. I
found on board an absence of organisation, order,
discipline, and cleanliness, in striking contrast to
what is usual on a large British passenger steamer,
(japtain Aubert was most courteous : he gave me the
seat of honour at his right hand, and did much to
make me bear more patiently the general discomfort
on board.
The one redeeming feature of the * Sydney ' was
her steadiness in a heavy gale. On the second day
the north-east monsoon developed into almost a
hurricane, just when we were in a dangerous part of
the Straits of Formosa. The Straits are only sixty
to eighty miles wide, and have the coast of China on
one side and the island of Formosa on the other, and
inside Formosa are the dangerous rocky Pescadores
Islands, lying right in the Straits. It was on one of
these that the P. and 0. passenger steamer ' Bokhara '
struck and foundered seven or eight years ago, only
two passengers being saved. Amongst the passengers
were thirteen members of a cricket team, who had
been up to Shanghai to play a match.
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HONG KONG 167
Fortunately it was daylight, and we weremnning
with the wind behind us. The sea simply boiled
around ns owing to many shallows^ but not having
to face title gale we did not ship any of the huge
rolling seas. We passed Her Majesty's cruiser
* Bonaventure ' going northwards and pitching
terribly.
The third day the sea had moderated, and in the
afternoon we arrived safely at Hong Eong.
ENTEANOE TO HONO KONG
The Captain asked me to go on to the bridge,
so as to see more of the entrance to the harbour. It
is a narrow winding channel between bare rocky
islands. The town is situated on the north side of
the island, and has the precipitous but luxuriantly
wooded slopes of the rocky peak rising about 1,800
feet behind it, whilst in front is a fine expanse of
deep water. A number of men-of-war, including
several British, lay at anchor; also many large
ocean-going steamers ; whilst a multitude of junks,
steam-launches, and other boats were moored in all
directions. The scene was lively and impressive.
CITY OP HONG KONG
The palatial-looking buildings of granite and
brick lining the sea-front and rising tier above tier
up the hill, together with the considerable number
crowning the very summit of the peak, form a
handsome city, almost unique as regards beauty of
situation and surroundings. It was indeed refresh-
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168 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CEISIS
ing, after my disappointment in other parts of China,
to gaze on this fine possession of the British nation
away in the Far East, and to realise that here, at
any rate, one might feel proud to be an Englishman.
The climate here at this season of the year is per-
fect, and at the Hon. J. J. Keswick's, 1,700 feet
above the sea, I had in cool bracing air and a perfect
flood of sunshine a most delightful and beneficial
rest after all the hard travelling I had done. It is
only after hard work that rest can really be enjoyed.
The views from the peak to the south and
west of Bocky Islands, with intervening winding
waterways of the loveliest shades of blue, were
exquisite under the brilliant sunshine, and some of
the sunsets were gorgeous.
From the signal station we looked down on the
town and harbour, and at night myriads of lights
— for every craft, large or small, is compelled to
show lights — made a gay and brilliant scene.
The population is about a quarter of a million,
and both the trade and the city are growing rapidly.
It is one of the most prosperous places in the world.
The shipping inwards and outwards is estimated
to carry produce and goods worth fifty millions
sterling every year. I called on the Governor (Sir
Henry Blake) and had an interesting talk.
ADMtBAL SEYHOUB
I next went on board our first-class battleship
the ' Centurion ' to pay my respects to the Com-
mander-in-chief on the Pacific Station, Admiral Sir
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KAU-LUNG 169
Edward Seymour. I lunched with him the next
day in order to have a quiet chat over what has
recently occurred, and also to ascertain his views of
the present situation in China. Admiral Seymour
is a splendid type of man, and hut for the fact that
neither he nor our Minister in Pekin has been
allowed any liberty of action whatever by the
authorities at home, out position out here would
have been very different indeed from what it is
to-day.
KAXJ-LXJNa
Across the bay to the north lies Eau-Lung, and
behind it the new concession recently acquired by
the British. Our territory is little but rocky sterile
mountains, and the line of frontier — a river which in
parts can be stepped across — the worst possible. It
was accepted in spite of the urgings of men on the
spot, military and civil, when the slightest firmness
would have secured a fine mountain barrier a little
farther north. We occupied Sam Chun beyond the
frontier, when the taking possession of our ground
was opposed, and this gave us a healthy camping
ground which we urgently needed.
EVACUATION OP SAM CHUN
To the disgust of everybody at Hong Kong,
instructions came out recently to evacuate this place.
It is said our home authorities ordered this to assist
the Chinese Government in resisting some aggressive
demands on the part of the French ; if so, it was a
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170 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
fmitleBS Bacrifice, as the French had everything they
asked for conceded within ten days after our with-
drawal. As it stands, it is very doubtfol whether the
Eau-Lnng extension is of much value.
PUBLIC GABDBNS
The Public Gardens at Hong Eong are large and
well kept. Brilliant tropical flowers abound, and
the luxuriant growth of ferns and palms provides
many a cool retreat from the burning sun.
HAPPY VALLEY
The numerous cemeteries — Boman Catholic, Pro-
testant, Parsee, Mohammedan, and Chinese — are
situated in Happy Valley, three miles from the town
with perfectly lovely surroundings, and are full of
flowers, ferns, and palms.
BAILWAYS
There is no railway into the interior from the
Kau-Lung Extension, and though a concession
has been got to build one to Canton, I find it will
not be proceeded with except in connection with the
Canton-Hankow Line, for which the Americans are
vainly trying to get a properly ratified contract
from the Chinese Government. All confidence has
been, for the present, destroyed by the way in which
our Government allowed the Bussian Government to
ride roughshod over the British investor in regard to
the Newchwang Extension Bailway.
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PIBATBS 171
WBST BIVEB BXPBDinON
The waterway from Hong Eong to South-west
China is the West Eiver, and to explore this I left
in a small steamboat, the ' Samshui/ on November 20,
towing a d80-ton barge alongside, for Wuchau, 255
miles from Hong Eong.
PIBAOT ON THE WEST BIVEB
We had about 300 Chinese passengers crowded on
the main deck, and the qaestion was whether, in view
of the numerous and repeated acts of piracy on the
West Biver recently, there might not be among them
forty or fifty men armed with revolvers and knives
having the intention of seizing the ship. Near one
place, Eumchuk, which we had to pass in the night,
a band of pirates had captured a British-owned
steamer ten days before. After ransacking the
passengers' baggage and the ship's cargo, they com-
pelled the crew, at the point of the revolver, to
navigate the steamer so as to enable them to seize a
large junk, from which they took 2,000 taels in gold
and a quantity of silk. Though our gunboats are
said to be patooUing the West Biver, no effort had
been made to punish the perpetrators of this outrage.
I expected the pirates, thus emboldened, might hold
us up, especially as the only two gunboats of any
use had gone up the river to escort Prince Henry of
Prussia to Wuchau. We placed two Sikhs with
loaded rifles at the stairway leading up from the
main deck ; the captain and officers all had rifles and
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172 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT CEISIS
revolyers handy; and most of us slept with our
revolvers under onr pillows. However, the night
passed quietly, and in the early morning we dis-
charged our crowd of Chinese, and were able to
relax our precautions.
STUCK ON A SAKDBANK
We were unfortunate in running hard fast on a
sandbank only a few hours from Wuchau, and it was
only after eight hours' detention that we were hauled
off by another steamer, which came to the rescue.
WUCHAU
We reached Wuchau, an ordinary Chinese town
of 50,000 inhabitants, situated on a low bank close
to the river, which rises fifty feet in smnmer and drives
the majority of the people to the upper stories of
their dwellings. The river Fu Zo enters the West
Biver close by : it is clear and green in contrast with
the reddish-coloured West Biver. Steam launches can
go some distance up the Fu Zo, by which a consider-
able trade is done with Kwei-lin, the capital of
Kwang-si. The country around Wuchau and up the
Fu Zo is fertile. It is an ancient city — a portion
enclosed by walls dates back to 592 A.D., and a still
more ancient city preceded it.
I had intended going on from Wuchau 319 miles
further to Nanning-fu, and thence across country to
Langson, where I should have got rail to Hanoi, the
capital of Tonquin — now annexed by the French —
but I found it would, owing to the low state of the
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NANNING-FD 173
river, occupy more time than I conld venture to give
in view of the uncertainty as to when Parliament
would meet. I had the good fortune to have all the
information collected by a most capable traveller —
Mr. Sheppard, who had just completed a journey of
investigation right up to Pose, which is 256 miles
beyond Nanning-fu — ^placed at my disposal, and this
reconciled me to the abandonment of the trip.
OHABAOTBR OF THE OOITNTBY
The country we passed through between Hong
Kong and Wuchau was less densely populated than
I expected, and not rich agriculturally. We saw
several fairly large towns, however, and though the
land next the river is by no means uniformly fertile,
a good deal is fairly so, and, as it is the water highway
to very important regions beyond, our just right to
have an equal opportxmity to trade on the West
Biver along with other nations ought to be upheld.
NANNING-FU
Nanning-fu, which was declared by Her Majesty's
Government to be opened as a treaty port in Fe-
bruary 1899, and claimed by them as a great diplomatic
achievement, is not yet opened ; and, if it were, the
Inland Waters Navigation Laws in force are such
as would render it of little value. The Government
announced that they had concluded an agreement
under which British ships would be able to take
British goods to every riverside town and station in
China.
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174 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
The fact is, howeyer, that they allow regolations
to remain in force restricting the trading of British
steamers to the very limited number of treaty ports,
and debarring them from loading or discharging goods
at intervening stations. This materially lessens
their chance of getting full cargoes and doing a
profitable business. It operates s6 adversely that
steamers put on to run between Canton and Wuchau
are to be taken off again.
SOENEBT
The scenery of the West Biver was spoilt for me
by the finer character of that of the Yangtsze, but
we passed several pretty bits of picturesque well*
wooded country, and one gorge several miles long
had hills of a sort of sandstone, but largely grass-
covered, rising up to 1,600 feet in places on both
sides of the river. There was also a fine rock 1,410
feet high, close to the river, known as the Monk's
Head, and very much resembling one.
IiEPEBS
Lepers are very numerous in this district, and are
employed to keep bamboo poles fixed at various points
in the river to indicate the channel. It was sad to
see some of the poor creatures; but, Chinese-like,
they did not appear to think anything of it.
BOAT LIFE ON THE WEST BIVEB
Millions of people live in boats in China. Can-
ton and the West Biver are specially noticeable in
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A NOVEL BOAT 175
this respect. One craft — a Chinese stem-wheel
paddle-boat — ^interested me. The paddle is worked
from inside the stem by foot, just like a tread-
mill.
Another boatvery common here is called a ' slipper
boat/ from its resemblance in shape to. a slipper.
The speed at which the natives scnll them is won-
derful.
NOVBL METHOD OP SHOOTING
A novel method, employed on the West Eiver, of
getting at birds is to build a bamboo hut on a rock
in the river and place cleverly made artificial birds
on the top of this, and here and there around it.
The sportsman hides himself inside the shelter, and
unsuspecting birds fly over and light on the rock,
when they are easily shot.
PAWNSHOPS
In South China pawnshops are used to an extent
undreamt of at home. They are huge, high, square
buildings, quite the prominent feature in every town
or village. People deposit not only their valuables,
but in summer their winter, and in winter their
summer, clothing, and get advances on them. These
pawnbrokers also act as bankers.
STBANDED AGAIN
We had not left Wuchau two hours on the return
journey when we stranded on a sandbank, and here
we remained 16^ hours. After two steamers with
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176 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
hawsers attached failed to get us off I transhipped
into a small Chinese steamboat bound direct for
Canton. We had to go via Eomchuk, the pirate
stronghold, and as the gunboat 'Sandpiper' had
gone to Canton with Prince Henry of Prussia, the
torpedo destroyer was down river, and the ' Tweed '
was useless, I could not help thinViTig we might be
attacked, especially as we had to thread our way
through narrow creeks from Kumchuk to Canton.
We had no Sikhs, and only the captain and I had
revolvers, so that we were not in a position to repel
a serious attack. We kept awake till daylight, but
again escaped molestation.
CANTON
My visit to the large and prosperous city of
Canton with its land and water population variously
estimated at from one to two millions was most
interesting. It is situated on the Chu-Kiang, or Pearl
Biver, and is the capital of Kwang Tung, the pro-
vince of China forming the hinterland of our posses-
sion Hong Eong. Hong Eong is really the port of
Canton and of Ewang Tung generally. The earliest
traders with Canton were Arabs and Portuguese, then
Dutch, and lastly English. The old city is enclosed by
walls 22 to 40 feet high, five miles in circumference,
and the suburbs extend five miles along the river.
Canton is on a perfectly flat plain with only one or
two slight elevations within the walls to the north.
There are a number of trees, and the houses are
solidly built— excellent bricks and brickwork — and
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ANn-FOEBIGN FEELINQ 177
ntunerons temples and pagodas add to the pictu-
resqneness of the city. The narrow streets are paved
with large slabs of rock, and are a scene of the
greatest animation. The natives are dirtier than in
many other parts of China — that impression being
increased by their dark clothing— but they are more
active and have more go and intelligence than in
most other provinces.
They are anti-foreign, and as we passed along the
streets the cries of 'foreign devil' and 'kill him'
were frequently hmrled at us, but really meant
nothing serious. Mr. Dewstoe, a Wesleyan mission-
ary, took me roimd, and we met with an indication
of anti-foreign sentiment on the part of the children.
We visited the five-story pagoda, from which we
had a grand view right over the city. In proceed-
ing along the city wall we were followed by a crowd
of boys, who first contented themselves with howling
at us and then took to stone-throwing. One
striking me on the foot, we turned and went for
them, whereupon they fled,
TEMPLB OF 500 GENU
We went over the Temple of the 500 Genii. The
figures are gilded over, and each is dissimilar. There
is great variety of expression, and some are very
natural. Curiously, one of them is pointed out, and
you are told he is Marco Polo. We also visited the
Temple of the Emperor, where I photographed three
huge gilded gods.
N
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178 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
THB BXAMINATIOH HALL
Our next object of interest was the huge Examina-
tion Hail, where thousands are examined at once
eyery three years. There are long rows of cells
where each student is isolated to do his work. These
examinations are usually gone in for in the hope of a
successful pass ensuring an official position, but the
passion of Chinamen to be in the ranks of the
literati causes old men of eighty years of age to
enter the lists. It often happens that a grandfather,
father, and son go in for the same examination.
TRADE OF CANTON
Silk and tea are the staple trades of Canton.
Embroidered silks, blackwood furniture, and carved
ivory are specialities. I spent some time in visiting
the various workshops, and the fascination of
Canton — despite the smells — grew upon me. The
merchants and shopkeepers are excellent business
men and very independent : they never press you to
buy, but you may take or leave anything as you
elect. Canton imports a quantity of English piece
goods and other general household requisites.
BOATWOMBN
Thousands of boatwomen pull houseboats and
large sampans : they are bright little women, and
evidently very muscular, judging by the ease and
speed with which they propel their craft. They are
all more or less decorated with jewellery.
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BACK AT HONG KONG 179
WATBBWAY8
Canton is stirrotinded by a perfect labyrinth of
waterways, especially towards Hong Eong and
branching south-west and west. The country be-
tween the Pearl Eiver ajid West River is splendidly
fertile, and so dense is the population that large
quantities of rice have to be imported for their
sustenance.
I returned to Hong Eong on s.s. * Hankow/
DUCK BBBBDIKa
We passed duck-breeding places. The ducks are
taken down the river in boats with large projecting
decks on each side on which they sleep, each duck
in its own bunk. They go ashore to feed and are
recalled by a whistle or a particular call from the
duck-keeper. A gangway is put out, and they march
on board direct to their respective sleeping-places.
AT HONG KONG AGAIN
On my return from Canton I had six more days at
Hong Eong. I spent the time in having interviews
with men able to give accurate information, including
the Governor, Sir Hy. Blake, Mr. Lockhart, Colonial
Secretary, Colonel The G'Gtorman (who occupied our
Eau-Lung Extension), Mr. Francis (Chairman of the
China Assoc.), Mr. Wilcox (Secretary of the Chamber
of Commerce), Sir Thomas Jackson (Manager of the
Hong Eong and Shanghai Bank), Mr. Wildman
(American Consul), and many others.
K 2
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180 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT OBISIS
ST. ANDBBW'S DAY BALL
I received an invitation to attend the St. Andrew's
Day Ball, the greatest social function of the year. I
went and found a brilliant assembly of fully 1,000
people. The success did great credit to the less
serious side of Scotch character.
VISIT TO KANO-TU-WBI
I paid a visit to Kang-yu-Wei, the Chinese re-
former whose life the British saved, and who had
then recently returned from Japan.
I found him at the top of a house with two Sikhs
on guard below. He is living under British protec-
tion, but dare not go out for fear of being kidnapped
by the Chinese. He is a young man of thirty-five or
forty, speaks with brightness, animation, and intelli-
gence, but does not strike one as possessing that
force of character or commanding ability calculated
to make him a powerful leader of men. He is loyal
to the deposed Emperor, and says that the Dowager
Empress is in the hands of Eussia, and that any
statement that she is anti-Bussian and in favour of
reform is untrue, and only made to throw dust into
the eyes of opponents. He thinks the party of
reform in China is strong if only they had an oppor-
tunity of demonstrating it. He regards Jung Lu,
the head of the Chinese army at Pekin, as at present
all-powerful.
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A FRENCH STEAMBE 181
We had an unclouded sky every day, and a cool
north-east monsoon steadily blowing.
On Saturday, December 2, 1 left in the splendid
6,000-ton mail steamer ' Annam ' (French) for Saigon,
the capital of French Indo-China.
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182 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT CJftlSIS
CHAPTEE Xn
FABEWELL TO CHINA
On leaving Hong Eong I bade farewell to China,
where I had learnt and seen, in three and a half
months of travel and inquiry, much that was
novel and interesting, and where I had gathered
commercial and political information from the men
on the spot, which I hope will prove of use to me in
my efforts to promote the upholding and extension
of British trade in the Far East.
I shall never be able to repay the European resi-
dents for their generous and hearty hospitality, or
for all they did to facilitate the objects of my visit.
I have also warmly to acknowledge the invariable
courtesy and willingness to give all possible assist-
ance on the part of Chinese officials in every city
and district through which I passed in the course of
my extended journey. It is largely due to the help
I received on all hands that in so short a time I have
traversed over 6,000 miles on the inland waterways
of China, and also visited most of the great centres
of commercial and political interest throughout the
Empire. I desire in no sense to pose as an authority
on China, but rather as one in possession of the
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SAIGON 188
best and mort accurate information carefolly col-
lected from the best-informed men on the spot.
To me it has been an educational trip of con-
siderable value^ and I have pnrsned the task I
imposed upon myself with zest and satisfaction.
FBBNOH INBO-OHINA
Now I will give some account of my visit to
SaigoUi the capital of French Indo-China^ which is
situated in Cochin-Ghina. The s.s. ' Annam ' was a
top-heavy boat, and she rolled tremendously, though
the north-east monsoon was not blowing unusually
strong ; writing was impossible. We had a cosmo-
politan lot 6t passengers, though only forty in
number — ^French, Germans, Bussians, Swiss, Ameri-
cans, English, Japanese, and Chinese.
SAIGON AKD CHOLON
We reached the mouth of the Saigon Biver in
about thirty-four hours, and had to go fifty miles up
it before we reached Saigon. On looking out I could
have imagined myself in France. The style of the
place is purely French. There are boulevards with
avenues of trees and caf^s and fine public buildings.
It is the French military centre, and has extensive
yards and departments in connection with the dif-
ferent branches of their military and naval forces.
There are 1,000 French soldiers and a large force of
Annamites under French officers. The town is
built on a flat marshy plain, and the climate is deadly.
The heat was great and mosquitoes simply swarmed.
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184 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
It was amusing to see hundreds of lizards clinging to
the tops of verandahs and the ceilings of rooms
bus^y engaged in killing off mosquitoes.
I visited the public gardens and zoological gardens
combined, which are fine, and contain a great variety
of tropical trees and plants.
I drove out five miles to Cholon — a new Chinese
town — ^behind a pair of the tiniest Burmese ponies,
which got over the ground very rapidly. The
French have made most excellent roads in and around
Saigon. Cholon is laid out with broad well-made
streets, kept perfectly clean, but the houses were
poor. I called on Dock Phu, the Prefect, who
showed me his large collection of carved and inlaid
work and other curios. He is a rich man, but with
ill-gotten gains, obtained from the French as a
reward for the assistance he gave them in taking
possession of his country.
FBBNCH INDO-OHINA AND THE PROTBOTIVB
STSTEM
The French possessions in the East, known as
French Indo-China, comprise Cochin-China, taken
1857-60; Annam, added subsequently; a protec-
torate over Cambodia ; also the province of Tonquin,
forcibly taken from under the protection of China.
The population of the whole is probably about ten
millions. The native race, except in Tonquin, is
Annamite. They are a dirty, lazy, and ignorant
people, much inferior to the Chinese. Cochin-
China is a rich rice-growing country, and has a large
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FBBNOH DUTIES 186
surplus of revenue over expenditure, despite its array
of highly paid French officials. There are deficits
in Cambodia, Annam, and Tonquin, v^hich are more
than met by Coohin-China.
To show what happens wherever France gains
control over territory, and imposes her protective
system, we have an object-lesson in connection vnth
her Indo-China. In 1885 no less than seven-eighths
of the imports came from England, Germany, and
Switzerland, but owing to duties put on in favour of
France, and ranging up to as high as 60 per cent.,
three-fourths of the imports now come from France
and only one-fourth from the rest of the world.
Does not this show that my strong warnings as to
the absolute necessity of our firmly maintaining our
just and equal right to trade in Szechuan, Yunnan,
Kwang-si, and Kwang-tung are well founded ? That
France is working might and main to acquire pre-
dominant influence in those great and rich provinces
of China, with a view to ultimate annexation, is
undoubted. Should she be allowed to accomplish
her designs, then good-bye to British trade in those
regions also.
FBBNOH AOTIVITY AND BBITISH INACTIVITY
France is pushing her railways up both towards
Yunnan, with the ultimate intention of penetrating
to the rich province of Szechuan, and also up to
Nanning-fu, on the West Biver. She is building
three river gunboats to patrol the West Biver ; and
instead of playing at the repression Of piracy, as we
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186 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
are doing, she will probably adroitly use piratical
attacks as a pretext for entering into military occupa-
tion of the cotintry. Meantime, our Goyenmient
pursues its policy of humiliation and drift, allowing
France to disr^fard the treaty of 1896 without a
protest, and making no genuine attempt to come to
an understanding which would secure the equitable
and reasonable rights of both nations.
OLIMATB OF SAIGON
How bad the climate of Saigon must be is seen by
the enormous hospital, with 1,600 beds for Europeans
only. It was nearly full at this the healthiest
season of the year, though the European population
is not over 10,000. Dysentery is the prevailing epi-
demic. They have four resident and eight visiting
doctors, a Pasteur Institute, and Dr. Simon is there
studjring the plague. Their infectious wards are
steel frames filled in with bamboo, which is burnt
after each case. They have no trained nurses, but
Sisters of Mercy undertake the work of nursing.
There is a hospital for natives. The French deserve
the highest credit for the excellence of their hospital
arrangements.
We took on board twenty-five French military and
naval officersat Saigon, andlsaw signs of their virulent
anti-English feeling. They simply gloated over the
British reverses in the Transvaal, taking care to talk
loudly about them when Englishmen were near, and
the word 'Fashoda' was frequently brought in.
They hate us with a petty sort of hatred, and are
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I'BENGH SENTIMBNTS 187
chafing Tinder a desire to have ago at ns, which they
hardly feel able to gratify. There is little doubt
that the possibility of an attack on England by
France has been much lessened by their determina-
tion to let nothing interfere with the success of the
Paris Exhibition.
The steamer was well fitted, but we were treated
like a lot of children. The French are steeped in
red tape — ^rules, regulations, and officialism — ^to the
most absurd extent. They will not oblige you in the
smallest matter if contrary to some rule. I never
wish to travel on a French boat again, and but for
the indifference of our P. and 0. Co. in not putting
on up-to-date boats, and plenty of them, it would not
be necessary.
In the early morning of December 8 we
quietly steamed into the harbour of Singapore,
situated on the island of that name, and a possession
of the Briti^ Crown. It is the chief town of the
Malay Peninsula under British rule.
On landing at Singapore I was shocked to find
that the Governor, to whom I had a letter of intro-
duction from Mr. Chamberlain, had just been buried.
On Wednesday he presided at a meeting of the
Council, and on Friday he was under the sod as the
result of an apoplectic seizure.
SINGAPOBB
The town of Singapore has about 184,000 in-
habitants, mainly Chinese. It is only two degrees
north of the Equator.
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188 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
There is of course no spring, Bummer, autumn^
or winter in the Malay Peninsula. The days are
practically of the same length all the year round,
and the temperature does not yary more than 16 deg.
between the hottest and coldest days — ranging from
75 to 90 deg. in the shade. It has a very moist
climate — ^the rainfall at Singapore is fully 100 inches,
and at Penang and other places further north about
140 inches per annum.
Alligators abound in its waters, frequently snap-
ping up unwary travellers on the river banks. Tigers
are also numerous : I saw a ferocious tiger in a cage
on a coffee plantation which had been trapped
close by a few weeks before.
The public gardens at Singapore are large and
well kept— they contain all kinds of tropical trees,
palms, and plants, also a small collection of animals.
I received a hearty welcome from Mr. St. Clair, of
the ' Singapore Free Press,' and Mr. Butt, manager
Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, who was my host.
MALAY PENINSULA
The Malay Peninsula consists of what are known
as the Straits Settlements, Singapore, Malacca (a
province which we got from the Dutch in exchange
for Sumatra), the territory and island of Dingdings,
the island of Penang, and province of Wellesley.
Then we have a protectorate over four States —
Selangor, Perak, Pahang, and Negri Sembilan, with
Besidents, and a Besident Q^neral — and lastly there
is the State of Johore, adjacent to Singapore, under
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TIN MINES 189
an independent Snltan, who takes care not to do
anything we disapprove of. The area of the whole
is abont 40,000 square miles, and the total population
slightly over a million.
The greater part of the country is dense jungle,
and its prosperity has arisen from the discovery of
tin. No less than two-thirds of the whole world's
production of tin is mined here. The price has
recently been 1S51. a ton, and it is still over lOOZ.
This is a source of great wealth. The mining is
carried on mainly by the industrious, plodding
Chinese : the Malays are too lazy to undertake such
work. ^
VISIT TO SBLANGOR
I went by steamer to Klangon, the coast of
Selangor, and by rail to Kuala-Lumpor, where I had
a heajiy welcome from Col. Walker, the Besident.
While there I visited the mines. The tin ore is found
in a bed of gravel, covering a large area of plains
adjacent to rivers. This must have been washed down
from the mountains during countless ages, and there
has accumulated on the top of it other material and
soil from 10 to 150 feet thick. This over-burden is
bared up to 30 feet, and over that thickness the gravel
bed is reached by shafts. The gravel has been known
to contain 10 per cent, of tin, but 1 per cent, would
be nearer an average yield. The gravel is washed in
rushing water ; the tin, being the heaviest material,
sinks to the bottom, and a second washing leaves a
deposit with nearly 70 per cent, of tin in it. .
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190 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
KXTAIiA-ETJBU
From Enala-Ltunpor theBeddent took me in his
private saloon by rail to Kuala-Knbu, forty miles off.
It is a charming little spot, with lovely tropical
flowers, trees, and palms, and smrounded by granite
mountains 3,500 feet high covered by forests right
to their summit. There is an excellently appointed
hospital for the free use of the native population.
I drove fifteen miles farther up a mountain pass to
see the magnificent forests and the marvellously
luxuriant growth of jungle.
Boads superior to those we usually have in Eng-
land have been built through the dense jungle in all
directions, and splendid cycling tours, amid tropical
scenery for hundreds of miles, can now be enjoyed
which were impossible a few years ago. The con-
struction of railways is being pushed on rapidly, with
rails, engines, and engineering work all supplied
from England. The Selangor railwajrs pay 7 J per
cent, and the Perak 4^ per cent, per annum. All the
railways belong to the State. Before many years are
over it will be possible to go by rail from Penang in
the north to Singapore in the south.
A new port, with landing-stages of British-made
steel joists and girders, is being constructed about
five miles down the river from Elang at a cost of
half a million sterling.
ADYANTAaB OF BBITISH BULE
Under British rule there is security for life and
property where there were originally only nests of
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CHINESE SUBJECTS 191
pirateSi and as the resnlt we have the great
prosperity which this fair region of the earth is
now enjoying.
The majority of the inhabitants are Chinese, and
we have proved that with just government they make
excellent citizens — sober, industrious, and intelligent.
The only thing we have to guard against is the
formation of secret societies.
EUAIiA-LUMPOB
This town is a perfect wonder. It is provided
with all the advantages and refinements of civilisa-
tion. The public offices are combined in a splendid
edifice of granite, and in front of this is a capital
cricket and football ground. The Besidency is a
spacious dwelling on the top of a hill commanding
a charming view over lovely undulating well-
wooded country.
The Resident sent me back to Singapore in the
Government yacht ' Esmeralda/ which was placed
at my disposal — a very delightful and luxurious mode
of travelling to which I did not at all object. The
passage occupied twenty hours. Each of the Malay
States has a yacht for the use of its officials.
There are a number of coffee plantations. T
spent one night at Tim Bailey's bungalow in order
to go over his plantation, which is the most perfectly
cultivated in the Peninsula. It extends over 1,000
acres, and has indiarubber trees planted between the
rows of coffee bushes.
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192 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
The coffee bush has shining evergreen leaves,
and on the same branch you find the flower, and
also the cherries in three stages of growth. When
the berry is tnming red (which has caused it to be
called a cherry) it is ready for gathering.
In this climate gathering goes on all the year
round.
I saw the berries automatically fed into a pulping
machine, which sends out a constant stream denuded
of the outer shell. These are fermented for three
days in cisterns, then washed and taken to a drying
machine — a huge cylinder heated by hot air to a
temperature of 225**, which revolves rapidly. When
dry they are transported to a hulling machine, which
removes a second shell. A further thin coating has
also to be shed by mechanical assistance, and then,
after all the bad berries have been carefully picked
out, the coffee is ready for the market. I am sorry
to say that, notwithstanding the greatest enterprise
and industry, coffee is so low in price that no profit
can be made. We get the advantage in having,
through stress of competition, our coffee at a very
low price, but it is at present bad business for the
coffee planter.
NATIONALISATION OF LAND AND MINEBALS
I should have mentioned that the nationalisation
of land and minerals in the Malay Peninsula is an
accomplished fact. Land is rented from the Govem-
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SINGAPOBB GARRISON 198
ment on long leases at a low rental, and on tin
exported a duty has to be paid to the State varying
according to the price realised. It is now about 18
per cent. A rich gold mine is being worked in
Pahang on the same terms, and more are likely to be
opened.
It was a virgin country with impenetrable jungle
for the most part, with no surface owners practically,
and this enabled the running of it on ideal lines by
the Government's assuming the ownership.
There are only about 1,000 British troops at
Singapore. Colonel Walker, my host at Kuala-
Lumpor, commands a regiment of Indian Sikhs,
known as the Malay Guides, for service in the four
Malay States. I went over the barracks and saw
the men paraded: they are a fine body of men,
their average height being 6ft. 9^in. They are
capital shots, and I could not help regretting that
it is inadvisable to have their assistance in South
Africa.
We had an excursion from Kuala-Lumpor to the
Batu Caves, nine miles away. They are in a huge
cliff of limestone bleached white and surrounded
and crowned by forests. Passing through an outer
cave, where huge stalactites hang from the roof, you
enter an inner cave with a dome like that of a
cathedral hundreds of feet high, with small orifices
to the sky. There are immense pillars of stalactite
from bottom to roof of the cave, formed by the dripping
of limestone water through countless ages. A pulpit-
shaped rock at one side helps to complete the illusion
o
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194 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CEISIS
that yon are in a sacred edifice, and not gazing on
Nature's own handiwork.
The colonring of the walls— a variety of greens,
browns, and greys — adds to the beauty. Beyond
the dome is another cave, almost entirely open to
the heavens except for its carving sides. Trees and
luxuriant ci^epers grow around the top and down
one side. It is a charming example of rock and
cave scenery.
JOHOBE
Mr. Butt drove Mr. Keswick (my host at Hong
Kong, whom I was glad to see again) and myself
right across the island of Singapore, through
beautiful jungle, twelve miles to the narrow straits
separating it from the native State of Johore. Here
we found one of the Sultan's boats awaiting us, and
were soon landed at the city of Johore, with its fine
mosque and Sultan's palace. The Sultan was away
at Calcutta, but we called on the Prime Minister,
a pucka Malay and a handsome and intelligent
man.
We were entertained at tiffin at the club, and
driven in carriages all round the place. Johore is
famous for its pineapples, thousands of acres being
devoted to their growth. The present price is one
farthing each. They are canned, and the profit
obtained by the canning firms must be enormous.
Johore State is rich in tin, and its financial con-
dition is improving every year. Nearly all the heads
of departments are Englishmen.
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A MIXED POPULATION 196
The city of Singapore is interesting on account
of its cosmopolitan population, comprising Chinese,
Eurasians, Aohinese, Boyanese, Dyaks, Javanese,
Malays, Manilamen, Annamese, Arabs, Armenians,
Tamils, Japanese, Jews, Persians, Siamese, Gin-
ghalese, Africans, and Aborigines, in addition to
Europeans of different nationalities. As a practical
proof of the progress and prosperity of the Malay
Peninsula, I may cite the fact that in twenty-four
years the revenue has grown from under two to over
fifteen millions of dollars.
The chief exports are tin, gutta-percha, coffee,
hides, sago, tapioca, pepper, nutmegs, indiarubber,
mother of pearl, gum, copal, rice, sugar, and cocoa.
The imports include cotton goods, coal, hardware,
cutlery, paper, tobacco, wheat, flour, petroleum, and
railway material. The value of exports and imports
is rapidly rising year by year.
Sir Alexander Swettenham has been sworn in
Acting Governor. I lunched with him, and had a
chat on affairs generally.
SIAM
I had thought of going up to Bankok, the
capital of Siam, but, unfortunately, boats did not
run so as to admit of it in the time at my disposal.
Admiral Seymour had just arrived from Bankok in
the * Centurion,' so the Governor sent me out in a
steam launch to learn from the Admiral what he
found to be the position of affairs in Siam.
o2
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196 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
This country adjoins both British Burma and our
Malay States, and the aggressiveness of the French,
if successful, will injure our commercial interests.
All we want is a free and independent Siam with
equal rights to trade in it, whilst I fear the ambition
of France is to absorb and annex the whole country.
I gathered that the French are quiet for the moment,
so far as the seizure of fresh territory is concerned,
and are busily engaged in digesting that which they
compelled the Siamese to surrender to them three or
four years ago. On the other hand the Bussians
have a secret agent in Bankok, who is actively
intriguing to gain influence. It is supposed they
desire a coaling station which would only be of
service in case of conflict with Great Britian in India
or the East.
SIN0APOBB TO COLOMBO
I was to leave Singapore for Colombo at noon by
the magnificent new 11,000-ton North German
Lloyd steamer the ' Konig Albrecht.' The Admiral
offered to send me in his launch, and mine was
ordered ashore. We discovered they had not trans-
ferred my baggage, so a stem chase began, which
finally resulted in our overhauling her and afterwards
reaching the 'Konig Albrecht' five minutes before
her advertised time of starting.
DECADENOB OF BBITISH SHIPPINa
I notice with anxiety the decadence of British
shipping so far as passenger steamers to the Far
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lOEEIQN COMPETITION 197
East are concerned. Formerly we had practically
the monopoly; now the Germans, French, and
Japanese have splendid vessels, and are successfully
competing with us. The Americans are also
building several magnificent steamers.
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198 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
CHAPTEB Xni
8INGAF0BE TO COLOMBO
It took as a few hours under five days to traverse
the 2,000 miles of sea between Singapore and
Colombo — first up the Straits of Malacca and then
almost due west across the Indian Ocean. The sea
was like a millpond all the way, and our huge float-
ing palace, the ' Eonig Albrecht,' was as steady as a
rock. \[t was very hot, and the cabins were suffo-
cating and sleepless abodes. Over and over again I
had to turn out and walk the deck in the middle of
the night to try and induce sleep. Some compen-
sation was got by enjoying the glorious flood of
moonlight from a full moon.
PBNANG
We coasted up Perak to Penang, where we
landed for a few hours. It is a small town with an
unimportant trade. I drove out four miles to see
the fine public gardens, encircled by densely wooded
slopes, several hundreds of feet high, in the centre
of which is a waterfall. The gardens are well kept,
and contain a great variety of tropical trees and
plants.
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GEBMAN SHIPS 199
ISLAND OF SUMATBA
On our left for many hours we had the eastern
shores of the Island of Sumatra close to us. There
were no signs of towns or villages, but mountainous
densely wooded jimgle everywhere. On the western
slopes tobacco, coffee, &c., are grown extensively.
We handed over Sumatra to the Dutch, who have
had, and still have, continuous fighting with the
native Achinese, whom they have not yet subdued.
GEBMAK SHIPBniLDINO
A generation ago we built the greater part of the
ships required by Germany — ^now. they construct all
their own. The ' Konig Albrecht ' was built at
Stettin, and the workmanship and material seemed
excellent. There were over thirty German naval
and military officers on board, including old General
Wolff. They were very friendly, and I talked over
the military situation in South Africa freely with
them, and got some ideas worth consideration when
the time comes for discussing the vital question of
the reorganisation of our military system.
CEYLON
It was pleasant and interesting to revisit Ceylon
after an interval of seven years in order to study the
progress made in this, one of the fairest islands of
the earth. It contains a population of about dj^
linillions of picturesque people of various nationali-
ties, and has an area of some 26,000 square miles.
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200 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
Colombo, where I landed, is on a flat plain
covered with cocoanut trees, and has an artificially
made harbour, to which I shall refer later. The
population has now reached 150,000-~an increase of
about 20,000 since my previous visit. As a practical
proof of its prosperity I may mention the fact that a
few days ago a plot of land of a little over an acre,
in the heart of the business quarter, sold for 17,0002.
I need not say more about the history of Ceylon
than to recall that the Portuguese took possession of
Colombo and the low country in 1617. The Dutch
appeared off the island in 1602, and by alliance with
the King of Elandy gradually ousted the Portuguese
— capturing Colombo in 1656, and subsequently
other places. In 1796, when Holland had been
overrun and occupied by the French, Colombo was
surrendered to the British, and we afterwards gained
possession of the whole island. There are many
inhabitants with more or less Portuguese blood in
their veins, and also 22,000 pure Burghers, who
show how little they appreciate the equal rights and
privileges we have so freely accorded them by re-
fusing to contribute one farthing towards our
Patriotic Fund, and by gloating over our reverses
in South Africa.
On arrival I found an invitation from Mr. and
Mrs. Willis — the lady being the daughter of Mr. T.
Baldwin, of Bamsley — ^kindly asking me to spend
Christmas with them in their bungalow in the
lovely Peradeniya Gkurdens. Mr. Willis is the chief
director in charge of the five Government Botanical
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A BOTANICAL GABDBN 201
Gardens in Ceylon, which do much to promote the
planting of the sorts of fruits and trees and other
plants likely to do well in the climate of Ceylon.
PBBADENITA AND ITS 0ABDEKS
To get to Peradeniya — which is about 1,600 feet
above the sea — ^I had a four hours' journey by rail —
a lovely route through woodland tropical vegetation,
and then winding up rocky slopes with paddy fields
in the hollows. Palms, tree-ferns, and bananas
abounded. One flower like a double marigold was
growing in the greatest profusion. It is called the
lantana, and is said to have been introduced by the
wife of one of the Governors, and now it threatens
to overrun the island. A sort of sunflower has
recently begun to oust it, and wherever that appears
the lantana is killed.
We inspected the gardens several times. They
cover 150 acres, and are park-like in parts, and
tropical in character at oi^er points. There are
about 6,000 species of trees, shrubs, and plants
growing in this one garden. Amongst these I
observed the orchid tree, of great size, with ever-
green leaves and lovely clusters of salmon-coloured
flowers just like orchids ; the palm-oil palm, cabbage
palm, pahnetto (Panama hats) ; nutmeg tree with
dark evergreen leaves rather resembling the laurel,
but not so shining — ^the fruit is like a peach, with
one nutmeg inside, which has mace half enclosing
it ; the allspice tree, with barkless stems and ever-
green leaves, which contain the allspice; cloves,
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302 ^HINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
grown on a large evergreen tree. The cocoa bush
(introduced from South Africa) is evergreen, and
has immense leaves, often one foot long. The pods
contain thirty or forty nibs. I gathered some leaves
from the cocaine bush (from Peru) ; the cocaine is
extracted from the leaves, which are not evergreen.
There were fine indiarubber trees with immense roots
twisting all round largely above ground, and just
like huge snakes. Then there was the upas faree,
tall, with its minute leaves, to sleep under the shade
of which is said to be certain death ; the Dorian tree,
with its pungent-smelling fruit (from Malay States) ;
the bread-fruit tree, with enormous leaves hand-
somely scalloped and of a lovely colour (the fruit is
much like the Jack fruit) ; an evergreen creeper
producing pepper; vanilla flavouring from vanilla
beans 4 or 5 inches long — a kind of orchid ; the tali-
pot palm, which throws out large white blossoms at
the end of 40 to 50 years, and then dies ; the lovely
sago palm (the sago is extracted from the interior
of the centre stem) ; and the cinnamon tree, the
bark of which furnishes the spice.
There were also clumps of bamboos 180 feet high
and 9 inches diameter of stem, and coffee and tea
plants, the sugar cane, and camphor, banana,
mango, orange, and many other fruit trees.
There was a curious plant in the lawns, the
leaves of which close up immediately you touch them,
and do not open again for ten or fifteen minutes.
I shall never forget the lovely avenue of crotons and
palms.
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CEYLON SGENEBY 203
THB liXJSBUM
I examined the collection of woods in the musemn.
The heart only of the ebony tree is black. The
calamander is as hard and expensive as ebony, but
more like mahogany in colour. The palmyra wood
is extremely hard and heavy. The satin wood is
just like satin in appearance. The medum wood is
hard and beautifully marked. The wood of the kos,
or Jack fruit, tree is hard and much used for build-
ing purposes. The wood of the sappoo is excellent
for water-casks and wheels. A curious feature that
I noticed is that nearly every trunk has cracks in the
centre.
CHRISTMAS IN OBYLON
It did not seem like Christmas, all surrounded by
tropical trees and plants and flowers ; bub it made
me feel less of a stranger in a strange land to spend
Christmas Day with those who had mutual friends
at home. I left the day after for Nuwara Eliya, a
mountain sanatorium, 6,200 feet above the sea, to
which I travelled by an attractive line of railway —
except the last five miles, which were coached.
The railway lay through a country practically
covered by tea plantations. I noticed a marvellous
change in seven years. Then large portions of
ground were unoccupied, and now hardly any.
Australian trees of wonderfully rapid growth had
been planted to break the wind, and for firewood,
all over the district, and in five or six years had
become quite large trees. The air grew fresher as
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a04 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
we ascended, and it was quite cold in driving from
the railway terminns — Nauoya— up a ravine to
Nuwara EUya, which is lined by hills clothed for
the most part with dense forests to their summit,
forming fine scenery. I was elected an honorary
member of the club — a lovely bungalow with flower-
beds and lawn in front, and creepers covering the
long low one-storied building ; and there I found a
room reserved for me. Nuwara Eliya had grown
rapidly since I was there in 1893. It is in an open
valley with well-timbered hills all around, some
rising to over 8,000 feet. There is a lake, around
which you get a good eight-mile constitutional on
foot, on horseback, or on a bicycle. The climate is
trying, and in the heat of the day the temperature
in the sun is 120 degrees, whilst in the early morning
there is hoar frost on the ground. I called on the
Governor, Sir West Bidgway, and afterwards dined
with him, going an hour earlier for a quiet talk on
the a£Eairs of Ceylon.
Since 1893 the railway forty miles farther on to
Bandarawela has been completed. I went up to see
the country. The line passes through dense forests,
and down the ravines you see fine open rolling
grass-covered country stretching far away. The
railway does not do well yet, so far as goods or
mineral trafiGic go.
AT A TEA PLANTATION
Leaving Nuwara Eliya, I travelled to Talawa-
kelle to visit Mr. Fairhurst on his St. Andrews tea
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CEYLON TEA 206
plantation. This gentleman had called on me at
Singapore, thinking I was his old schoolfellow,
Joseph Walton, Q.C., and I afterwards found that,
cnrioosly, I had a letter of introduction to him from
Sir Seymour King. No less than 54 per cent, of the
exports of Ceylon now consist of tea ; twenty-five
years ago only a few pounds were grown. Whdn I
was here seven years ago the quantity produced had
reached 76 million pounds a year, and now I found the
year 1899 will give the stupendous and unprecedented
total of 127,000,000 lbs. Tea has fallen from 1*. 2d.
to 8{2. per lb., average price, at Colombo in a few
years, and even at that low price the Ceylon tea
crop will fetch 4^ million pounds sterling. The
average cost is 6d. per lb., so that the producer is
still doing well.
TEA PACTOEY
I went over a tea factory to see the processes
employed in the preparation of tea for the market.
The leaves, known as the flush, are gathered about
every ten days from each bush all the year round.
These are placed on trays, formed of jute cloth
stretched from wooden framework, to wither in a
temperature of 75 degrees. They are usually left
fifteen hours. Then the withered leaves are taken to
the tea roller ('Economic ' or 'Bapid,' both made in
England), which is practically a grooved table on
which a box is revolved (by machinery) containing
tea pressed down on the grooves by a central weight.
The rolled tea is conveyed to the roll breaker ; this
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206 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
consists of a box filled with tea in which spindles are
revolved to break it up. The tea now passes on to
a jigging sieve, through which the finest leaf falls.
The rest is rolled again, and this process is repeated
three or four times until 75 per cent, has passed
through the sieve. Next comes fermentation, which
is accomplished by spreading the small leaf on wooden
tables to a depth of two inches, and covering it with
a damp cloth for three to five hours. Experts know
when fermentation has sufficiently taken place by
the bright copper colour of the tea. After fermenta-
tion the tea passes on to a drying machine (' Desic-
cator ' or * Sirocco '), through which it is pushed,
spread thinly on trays, in a temperature of 180 to
190 degrees, obtained by extracting hot air from a
furnace by means of a fan. This is repeated twice.
Now comes the sorting of grades, by putting the
whole bulk of tea on jigging sieves with different-
sized meshes, and three in number — one below the
other. The finest or smallest tea is of the highest
quality, and so on. When one grade of quality has
accumulated in a bin until it is full the tea is well
intermixed and passed through a firing machine
again. After this it is packed warm and sent to
market. Though the average price reaUsed is about
8d. per lb., it varies from 6d, to Is. 6d. according to
quality. There are about 360,000 acres of land now
devoted to the production of tea in Ceylon ; and
whilst one or two places produce 1,000 to 1,200 lbs.
per acre, a fair average yield may be taken at 400 to
500 lbs. When last in Ceylon, if the Government
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HADGALLA GAEDENS 207
land Bold to the planters brought 20L an acre it was
considered high; but recently estates have been
transferred to limited liability companies on the
basis, in several cases, of 1002. to 1202. per acre, which
is a ridiculoos price. Mannres are now having to be
applied to the land, and hence the cost of production
will rise.
HADGALLA BOTANICAL GABDENS
I must nob omit some reference to the fascinating
Hadgalla Botanical Qtirdens, 6,600 feet above the
sea, and the home of temperate plants, about six
miles from Nuwara Eliya. They contain about
3,000 varieties and species, and occupy 30 acres
of land in a charming situation. There is a
precipice at the back, 1,400 feet high, and a rapid
slope from the gardens down into a deep well-
wooded valley, surrounded by broken mountains.
Mr. Nock, who was there when I last went to
Hadgalla, took me round again.
Amongst other flowers and plants were forget-
me-nots, pinks, violets, pansies, daisies, dandelion,
begonias, fuchsias, nasturtium, azaleas, poppies,
Canterbury bells, gladioli, heliotrope, mignonette,
primulas, abutilons, lilies, balsam, canariensis,
honeysuckle, sweet-williams, foxgloves, wood-
anemones, roses, cinerarias, verbenas, camelias,
and a host of other flowers — all of which had
previously been unknown in Ceylon, but which
had been introduced, and in the month of De-
cember were all blooming in profusion. On the
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208 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CBI8I8
other hand^ in the same gardens were fine tree-
ferns, the Abyssinian banana, maidenhair fern, and
a great many other tropical trees and plants, includ-
ing orchids, growing luxuriantly. The huge natxiral
fernery contains 25,000 plants, and its cool nooks
and comers were a marrel of refreshing beauty.
Mr. Nock told me that the reason why they can
grow this extraordinary admixture of tropical and
temperate plants is that they selected an eleva-
tion where they just avoid frosts. He said a leopard
had attacked and carried off one of his calves a fort-
night before.
COOOA-inJTS
Next to tea, the export of cocoa-nuts is the most
important. Over 12| millions of cocoa-nuts were
exported last year, mainly to England. The outer
husk is full of fibre, known as coir fibre, which is
made into mats, brushes, and ropes. The kernel,
containing the oil, is partly sent to Europe dried
(copra), and the oil is there extracted ; but they also
prepare the oil in Ceylon. They also make and
export what is known as desiccated cocoa-nut for
confectionery.
MINEBAL WEALTH AND PBEOIOTJB STONES
Ceylon is not, so far as is known, rich in
minerals— coal, lead, and copper not being found — but
it produces a considerable quantity of graphite, or
plumbago, which is largely used in the manufacture
of metal-melting crucibles in England and the
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PEABL FISHEBIES 309
United States of America. The price has risen
from 252. to 752. a ton ; and as the 1899 output is
given out at 40,000 tons, it means a realised amount
of no less than three millions sterling for this com-
modity alone. Precious stones, such as rubies,
sapphires, and cat's-eyes, are found in Ceylon, and
conmiand extravagant prices, but the buyer some-
times finds he has had a crystal of glass palmed off
as a real gem.
PBABL FISHEBIBS
The pearl fisheries of Ceylon are of great anti-
quity. After the British occupation, in the four
years 1796 to 1799 the revenue from them was
234,0002. Since then there have been great blanks,
but as an aggregate this ' harvest of the seas ' has
yielded us a million sterling. Pearl oysters have to
be taken at their fourth or fifth year, and single
pearls, if perfectly round, of large size, and of silky
white lustre, commajid 2002. For eight years now
there has been no fishery.
KAILWAYS
The railways of Ceylon are owned by the
Government, and from 1862 to 1894 have made 42^
millions of rupees profit. After paying 17 millions
interest and 9 millions to a sinking fund for ex-
tinction of debt they have left a balance of 20^
millions avs^ilable for colonial purposes. The mile-
age now open is about 3,000, and the average profit
runs nearly 7 per cent.
p
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210 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
After my yidt in 1893 I strongly advocated the
constmction of a railway from the present system
right northwards to Jafiha — 200 miles ; and this, I
am pleased to learn, is to be taken in hand next
year. The estimate is 13 millions of rupees and 5
millions for the necessary adjunct of irrigation works.
The country through which the railway will pass
^ has, at present, little population, but in olden days it
supported millions of people, and will do so again if
its wonderful system of irrigation tanks be repaired.
It will relieve !bidia of some of its congested popula-
tion. The line is to be 5 ft. 6 in. gauge, which I
think is a mistake; 3ft. 3in. metre gauge would
have been cheaper, and also better, as affording a
greater likelihood of its ultimately being extended
across Adam's Bridge to India, and connected with
the metre gauge line now being built from Madura
to Paumben.
There are two light hill railways also to be built
this year — one, the Kelani Valley (50 miles), and the
other the Uda Pussellawa.
The whole of the railway material and rolling-
stock for these lines comes from England, and we
shall therefore benefit by their construction ; whilst
this policy of vigorous development, for which Mr.
Chamberlain deserves great credit, will be certain to
increase the prosperity of Ceylon and the well-being
of its population. Bailways ought also to be built
from Colombo to Chilaw, through densely populated
country, and also, on strategic grounds, from some
point on the line to Jaffna to Trincomalee, on the
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COLOMBO HABBOUB 211
east coast of the island, so as to establish land oom-
mnnication between our naval station and Colombo.
Railway fares in Ceylon run l^d. first, about id.
second, less than id. third, and less than a farthing
fourth class per mile.
COLOMBO HABB0T7B W0BK8.
Mr. Bostock took me over the new harbour
works. The Colombo harbour is an artificially made
one. A large breakwater, the foundation-stone of
which was laid by the Prince of Wales in 1875, was
built at a cost of 705,0002., and the encircling of the
roadstead is now being completed by two additional
arms, estimated to cost 527,0002. When finished
seventy large ships will be able to ride at anchor within
in safety in all weathers. A first-class graving dock,
capable of taking H.M.S. 'Benown,' is also in
process of construction at a cost of 318,000!., half of
which will be contributed by the Admiralty. The
total tonnage of the port of Colombo was 600,000 in
1879 ; it is now 6 million tons in and out annually,
and the revenue will pay interest and extinguish debt
in a reasonable number of years. The engineer first
showed me the plans, and then took me on an engine
to the point where the breakwater is now being built
up from 30 feet below the surface of the water.
They first deposit a quantity of rubble, and leave it
for a monsoon season to consolidate. Then the placing
on this foundation (they cannot get a natural one, as
there is only deep sand) of huge 30-ton blocks of
concrete begins. They are brought in a barge, and
p2
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212 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT CEISIS
an enoixnoos crane, known as a Titan, whioh can
pick up and place these blocks at any point within a
radios of 60 feet, does its part of the work. Many
divers are employed, who earn 2602. to 3002. a year.
The concrete blocks are composed of five parts gneiss
(the predominant rock of Ceylon), two parts sand, and
one part Portland cement ; they are made on the spot
and are exceedingly hard. The Titan cost 11,0002.,
and was built by an English engineering firm in
Bath. There are 11 miles of railway and 10 loco-
motives in connection with the harbour works, and
all were supplied from England.
TBADB, DBBT, TAXATION, AKD BSVENUB
In 1877 coffee formed 81 per cent, of the export
trade of Ceylon, and though that has been absolutely
extinguished, the exports of the island have been in-
creased 50 per cent, in the last twenty years.
The debt of Ceylon is only about 3^ millions
sterling, or 12. per head of its population. It is
little more than two years' revenue, and, unlike our
debt at home, is represented by revenue-producing
assets owned by the State, such as railways, harbour
works, post and telegraphs, land, &c., worth twice
the amount.
With regard to taxation, in the country there is
tio local taxation, except a poll-tax of 1| rupee,
which the natives can discharge by giving six days'
labour on the roads. In the towns, cost of water,
sanitation, police, and other expenses of local
administration are met by a tax on rental — ^not ex-
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PEOPLES OP OBYLON 213
ceeding, however, 11 per cent. The bulk of the
revenue for imperial administration is got by taxes
levied on imports, which amount to an average of
4:8. 8d. per head of the population per annum, and
at the end of this year the accumulated surpluses
will amount to 6 millions of rupees, which are to
be apphed to partly constructing the Jafha rail,
way.
About two-thirds of the inhabitants are natives
— Cinghalese, Eandyans, and Moormen ; and there
are nearly a million of Tamils, who have come over
from India.
The Cinghalese are a somewhat effeminate race.
The men wear large tortoise-shell combs, half
encircling their heads, and have their hair in a knot
at the back of the head. They cure lazy and unre-
liable as a rule, also rather treacherous. The Tamils
do practically all the hard work on the estates, in the
mines, and on the railways.
There are extensive missions, carried on by the
Wesleyans, the Church of England, and other
societies. As in China and India, however, the
Boman Catholics have by far the greatest hold on
the people.
HOME THBOUOH UTDIA
I found I could return home through India in
time for the opening of Parliament, and therefore
decided to take steamer to Calcutta, go across India
by rail, and embark for Europe at Bombay.
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214 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CBISIS
OBJECTS IN VIBW
I had two objects in view in paying this flying
visit to India : Ist, to bring the railway information
collected in 1892-93 up to date ; and, 2nd9 to have aii
opportunity of discussing the political and com-
mercial situation in the Far East with the Viceroy.
As Lord Curzon was Under-Secretary for Foreign
AfGEors, I was brought more into political relations
VTith him on the China question during my first
session in Parliament than is usual. He has travelled
extensively in the East, and I felt it would be
interesting to exchange views with him.
To show how railway extension a£fects British
trade, I may mention that the steamer to Calcutta
carried 2,000 tons of railway material from England,
also 1,000 tons Manchester piece-goods. The rail-
ways enable the export of the produce of the country,
and British piece-goods and other goods are taken in
exchange.
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216
CHAPTER XIV
INDIA
Bbfobb deciding to retnm home through India I
had exchanged two cablegrams with England, in
order to ascertain when Parliament would meet.
The reply was : ' Date not fixed, think probably about
20th February.* I was, therefore, much surprised
to have it wired the day after I reached Calcutta
that the House was summoned for January 30.
On arrival at Calcutta I put up at the Bengal
Club, of which I had been elected an honorary
member ; but as soon as the Viceroy heard I had
come he kindly wrote offering me the hospitality of
Government House, adding that this would give
us opportunities of discussing my experiences in the
Far East. I accepted the invitation so cordially
given, and had a most interesting and instructive
visit.
A HARD-WOBEINa VIOBBOT
The little glimpse I had of how the hours of the
day, and also of the night, were occupied showed
me that in Lord Curzon we have a hard-working
Viceroy, who is willingly devoting all his powers in
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216 C5HINA AND THE PRESENT 0EI8I8
the promotion of the progress and prosperity of the
nearly 300 millions of people in oar great Indian
Empire. The Viceroy is bound to discharge many
social duties, which take up time, and the result is
that he is usually working at his desk till two o'clock
every morning. As Viceroy, Lord Curzon knows no
politics, and it was a pleasure to me to find that one
who was always a courteous political opponent at
home is popular with the natives of India, who
much appreciate his devotion to public duty. I
sincerely trust that his term of office will be dis-
tinguished by a great advance in the moral and
material well-being of the people.
RAILWAYS IN INDIA
The Viceroy is just as keen as I am that India
should have her railway system extended adequately
to the needs of the country, and that the construction
of irrigation works should proceed simultaneously.
When travelling in 1892-93 in India and Burma I
tabulated 10,000 miles of urgently needed railway
extensions. I now went through that list with Sir
Arthur Trevor, the Public Works representative on
the Legislative Council, and Mr. Upcott, Secretary
for Public Works, to see how many of the proposed
railways had been built or were at present under
construction. I was much gratified to find that
since the end of 1893 over 4,000 additional miles of
railway have been constructed and opened up to
March 31 last, including several of the projects I so
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BAILWAYS AND FINANOB 217
strongly advocated in the series of addresses I gave
after my return home. In addition there are 3,568
miles still under construction or sanctioned. In the
last five years, therefore, they have been laying down
railways at the rate of about 800 miles a year, which
is a considerable increase on the average of previous
years, but does not by any means meet the necessities
of the country. Now I am told that, owing to the
large expenditure on famine relief, railway construc-
tion will practically be stopped this year. This, I
urged upon the Viceroy, is a mistidsen policy. The
railways of India paid on an average 5*37 per cent,
last year, including military and famine lines.
Many of the projects sanctioned are certain to pay
well, and will be of incalculable benefit to India,
lessening the chance of a recurrence of famine by
increasing the trade and the prosperity of the people,
especially if accompanied by the construction of
irrigation works.
The financial position of India is excellent. She
has no National Debt in the same sense as ours, for
it is more than covered by revenue-producing assets,
such as railways, irrigation works, posts, telegraphs,
and land revenues. India could, therefore, readily
raise on favourable terms any reasonable amount for
the special work of extendhig the railway system.
To place the Government of India in a position to do
this the railway accounts must be separated from the
general finances, and this I shall strongly advocate
at home, in the interests of India and England alike,
for the more India is enabled to export of what we
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218 OHINA AND THB PBBSBNT OBISIS
reqnirei the more of our mann&otured goods she will
take in return.
IMTEBVIEWS
I had interviews with Sir John Woodbnm, the
Lieutenant-Gbvemor of Bengal; General Ghaselee,
the Quartermaster-General charged with the move-
ment of troops and commissariat, and now com-
manding a Division in China; Mr. Douglas, the
manager of the East Indian Bailway, and many
others, including several natives, for the purpose of
gathering accurate information which may prove of
value.
THE DINNEB OF THE BISHOPS
One night at Government House I had the
honour of meeting no fewer than nine bishops of the
Church of England at dinner. It was, indeed, a
clerical atmosphere, but it was pleasant to see that
High, Low, and Broad Church alike could cease
their religious controversies and enjoy themselves
around the hospitable table of the Viceroy.
ADMIBAL BOSANQUET
The Viceroy and Lady Curzon took me with
them to call on Admiral Bosanguet on board the
cruiser ' Eclipse.' We went all over her, and were
shown guns similar to those taken up to Ladysmith
by the Naval Brigade from the * Powerful/
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FAMINES 219
THB FAMINE AND PLAGUB
The present condition of India is a sad contrast
to what I saw seven years ago. Then there was no
famine ; now a huge area with over 60 millions of
people is suffering from failure of crops. There has
practically been no rain during 1899, and, to make
matters worse, the crops largely failed in the five
preceding years also.
A small but rapidly diminishing number of
people still doubt the benefit to the native population
in India of British rule. Law and order, security
for life and property, in place of constant lawlessness,
anarchy, and bloodshed, have resulted from the
administration of India by Britishers for over forty
years. Formerly famines claimed their millions of
victims, but now, though severe famine afflicts the
land, few lack the food necessary to preserve life and
health. Over two millions of people are in receipt
of relief at the present time. The adults are
employed on public works as far as possible and
paid in cash, but the little children assemble at
various points by hundreds, with their basins, and
consume substantial meals.
In the 1,400 miles journey across India from
Calcutta to Bombay — ^wluch I did in forty-three hours
in a direct train — ^I passed through a good deal of the
famine area, and it was pitiable to see the arid and
absolutely bumt-up condition of the country. Given
rain, it is a garden — without rain, a desert. A more
patient, unmurmuring population could not be
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290 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CBISIS
found ; but they are too lethargic, and submit to what
they regard as the inevitable, without making a
vigorous effort to avert it. It is impossible to
irrigate a considerable portion of the famine area, in
consequence of the absence of rivers, but something
more might be done by the careful storage of water
when the rains come.
The plague is devastating another large district of
India. In Bombay alone there are over 200 deaths
daily, and for the next three months a rapid increase
is almost certain. All my clothes will have to be
disinfected before they will allow me to land at
Marseilles. Our English idea is to interfere as little
as possible with the habits and customs of the natives,
and to a large extent this is a sound poUcy ; but, in
view of the great spread of epidemics arising from
the insanitary condition of the native quarters, it would
seem to be the duty of the State to insist upon the
surroundings of the people being improved. The
natives resist all changes for their benefit most tena-
ciously. Their only desire is to be left to live as their
forefathers have done before them, in miserable
dwellings with filthy surroundings, a danger to them-
selves and the whole community. They have
absolutely no fear of death, and will without hesi-
tation sleep on a spot where a plague patient has
just died. How to improve matters is the great and
difficult problem which the authorities in India have
now to solve.
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A COMFABISON 221
LOTALTT OF NATIVES
The loyalty of the natives of India has been
remarkably demonstrated in connection with onr
South African difficulties. Offers of assistance have
come from all gnarters, and there has been much
disappointment at the decision of the Imperial
Government not to employ native troops.
INDIA AND CHINA
It is not easy to compare India and China.
There is a much greater variety of races in the
former than in the latter, as well as decidedly greater
diversity as regards physique, education, and civili-
sation. Some of the races of India are quite equal
to the Chinese, but the majority are inferior. The
Chinese were a civilised people 2,000 years ago, when
the inhabitants of the British Isles were barbarians.
China enjoys a better climate than India, and is
richer agriculturally ; its people, generally speaking,
are more industrious and have stronger commercial
instincts. Whilst, therefore, we should do all in our
power to increase the trade between Great Britain
and our Indian Empire, the fact still remains that
China is the neutral market which offers the greatest
possibilities for trade expansion, and where our
commercial rights should be resolutely upheld.
FBBB TBADE IN INDIA AND CHINA
To my mind, if there is one thing more than
another in connection with the administration of our
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222 CHINA AND THE PBEBENT OBISIS
great Indian Empire of which we have reason to' be'
proud, it is the fact that though we have expended
enormous sums of money and shed our blood in its
acquisition, yet we pursue the just policy of leaving
the teeming millions free to buy whatever they need
to import in the cheapest and best market, quite
irrespective of whether it is the British market or
not. Throwing open India, as we thus do, equally
to the trade of all nations immensely strengthens
the reasonable and equitable demand which we make,
that the great neutral market of China shall remain
open to everybody on equal terms and conditions.
HOMEWABD BOUND
I embarked on the s.s. ' Carthage ' at Bombay on
January 20, and transhipped into the s.s. * Australia '
five days later at Aden, and now, on January 29, we
are quietly passing up the great artificial waterway
connecting the Mediterranean with the Bed Sea and
the Indian Ocean — the Suez CanietL We have had
lovely weather and a good passage.
It is with real pleasure that I feel myself, after
my long joumeyings, homeward bound, and within
measurable distance of the shores of Old England.
I have now only to traverse the Mediterranean
from Port Said to Marseilles, and then proceed by
rail through France to Calais. If all goes well I
hope to arrive in London eight or nine days hence.
In concluding the last of my hurriedly written
communications, I will only say that it has been a
satisfaction to me to thus keep in touch with my
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MY OBJECT 223
' friends during my long absence. I shall feel amply
repaid if I have in any degree succeeded in arousing
a greater interest on their part in the countries where
I have travelled, and especially if I have deepened
their conviction as to the vast importance of up-
holding and extending our just commercial rights in
the Far East.
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224 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
STATEMENT MADE IN THE HOUSE OP
COMMONS
On Mabgh so, 1900^
BBITI8H, OOMMEBOIAL, AND POLITICAL
INTERESTS IN CHINA
Mr. Speaker, I desire to call the attention of the
House to the failure of Her Majesty's Government
to uphold British commercial and political interests
in China. Though I have recently made extensive
journeys in that country, I do not claim to pose as
an authority on Chinese afEairs, but I rather propose
to make a statement as to the present situation,
based on information obtained from the best-in-
formed men upon the spot. I make no apology for
recalling the attention of the House to the necessity
for the initiation by Her Majesty's Government of a
more definite and vigorous policy in the Far East if
our commercial and political interests are to be
maintained. I am aware how entirely absorbed the
public mind is by what has been transpiring in
South Africa for some time past, but I venture to
submit that we should be unworthy of the great im-
' Beprlnted from Hamard.
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STATEMENTIN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 226
penal responsibilities which rest upon our shoulders
were we to allow the affairs, however important, of
any one part of onr Empire to monopolise onr atten-
tion to the serions neglect of vital interests in other
parts of the world. Nor is it nnsnitable, Mr.
Speaker, to review the situation in China because
of the agreeable way in which public attention has
again been directed to the affairs of that Empire by
the signal success of American diplomacy, which
has resulted in the assent of England, Germany,
France, Bussia, Japan, and Italy to the principle of
equality of customs tariff and of harbour dues and
equality of railway rates being maintained in China.
The advantages conferred by this undertaking are
to be conmion to all States and all peoples, and our
kinsmen across the Atlantic are to be warmly con-
gratulated on the success which attended their
efforts.
The conmiercial conmiunity in this country are
deeply indebted to the United States Government
for having thus ensured equality of opportunity for
British trade as well as their own. How far Her
Majesty's Government ought to be congratulated
on the part they played in this matter has not yet
been fully disclosed, but I hope that not only were
Her Majesty's Government the first to give assent to
the proposals, but that they, so far as it was judicious,
gave their active co-operation in the endeavour to
secure the carrying through of the arrangement. I
am aware that, in view of the jealousy recently
exhibited towards us by foreign Powers, the United
Q
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226 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT CBISIS
States Government were probably able to succeed
where we should have failed ; and, indeed, any inter-
ference on our part might have defeated our object.
It is with great satisfaction I notice that not only is
there to be equality in the matter of customs tariff
and harbour dues, but equality also of railway rates.
The assurance in regard to the latter is of the utmost
value, and it was one which the British Govern-
ment failed to secure in the Anglo-Busdan Agree-
ment.
I will now turn to what I found to be the
position of afhirs in North China. The seizure of
Port Arthur by Bussia is somewhat ancient history,
and I will not refer further to that subject than to
say that the people in the East most likely to know
unanimously state that no one was so much sur-
prised as were the Bussians themselves at being
allowed to take Port Arthur. Bussia has already
made Port Arthur impregnable by new forts practi-
cally encircling it, and in August last she had
no fewer than 40,000 troops at Port Arthur and
Talienwan. There were also Bussian soldiers at the
railway stations on her Manchurian lines. She is
in military occupation of that huge country of Man-
churia, rich in agriculture, in minerals, and fisheries,
and with emphatically a white man's climate. Even
at Newchwang, the only treaty port through which
we can now trade, Bussian Cossacks had been poUcing
the town on the invitation, forsooth, of the British
Consul. On the north bank of the river at New-
chwang there is a Bussian concession of several square
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 227
miles, on which one terminus of her railway is being
built, and over which she enjoys quasi-sovereign
rights. Not content with this acquisition, Bussia is
negotiating for a further concession on the south
side of the river, opposite Newchwang and adjacent
to the terminus of the Newchwang Extension Line
from Bhanhaikwan, obviously with the intention of
bridging the river and linking up her Manchurian
railways, including that from Port Arthur, where
her troops are concentrated, with the line leading
via Tientsin to Pekin, which no doubt she will
ultimately acquire by advancing to the Chinese
Government the money to pay off the British bond-
holders, unless much greater determination be shown
by the British Government in resisting aggressions
certain to strangle British trade in the future. On
this Newchwang Extension Line is the treaty port of
Chinwangtao, the opening of which was announced
by Her Majesty's Government as a diplomatic
triumph. This port I visited, and to my surprise I
found there was no natural harbour, but only an
open bay surrounded by sandhills ; no sign of popu-
lation, except a few fishermen's cottages ; and no
trade. All the best-informed commercial men agree
that it is an act of folly to spend money on Chin-
wangtao, and that the improvement of the ap-
proaches to the ports of Tientsin and Newchwang
at each end of the line ought rather to have been
sought.
Perhaps the most unaccountable action on the
q2
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228 CHINA AND THE PBESENT CBISIS
part of the British Qovenunent, so far as Bnssia is
concerned, was the conclusion of the Anglo-Bussian
Agreement in the form in which it was finally
signed. The negotiations for months proceeded
with the expressed intention that what was to be
conceded to Bossia was the exclusive right of rail-
way construction in Manchuria, we having con-
ceded to us a similar right in the Yangtsze basin.
But, as far as Bussia is concerned, being at the
back of the Pekin and Hankow Bailway, as she
undoubtedly is, through the medium of the Busso-
Ghinese Bsuik— which Lord Salisbury has told us is
a Bussian State bank — she had invaded our sphere,
and made it impossible that we could enjoy exclusive
rights in the Yangtsze basin before the agreement
itself was signed ; whilst on our part, without a word
of explanation, not only did we concede to Bussia
exclusive rights in Manchuria, but north of the Great
Wall of China, which will in the long nm be found
also to embrace a large slice of the province of Chi-Ii,
the whole of the great horse-breeding country of
Mongolia, and the province of Sin Eiang.
I have had a large map prepared, which I should
have liked to see hung in this House in order
that my remarks on this subject might be made
more intelligible. That map shows exactly what it
is that Bussia obtains under this Anglo-Bussian
Agreement, and gives other information which may
be interesting to Members. If desired, I propose to
place this map in the Tea Boom for a short time.
The fact is that, so far as the Blue-books disclose it,
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 229
Bussia has the whole of these enonnons territories
in North China and stretching westward across Asia
to territories preyiously in the possession of Bussia,
and giving to her just what she requires to enable
her to take possession not only of North China, but
also of Central China. Without a map it is,
perhaps, difficult to make clear to the House the
exact position of affairs, but hon. Members may be
able to follow me if I say that, stopping for the
time being the construction of the Bussian Siberian
railway to Yladivostock, she has already commenced
the laying of a line branching off from her Siberian
railway right down through Mongolia direct to
Pekin. A further concession in connection with
the Pekin-Hankow Bailway has been got for a
branch from £ai-feng-fu to Houan-fu, with the
option of extending to Singan-fu, a place only two
hundred miles north of the Yangtsze Biver, and
from which the immemorial trade route into Central
Asia runs. But this is only part of the Bussian
programme for the conquest of Asia by railways.
There is another Bussian main line rapidly advanc-
ing through Central Asia which seems to have
escaped public notice. I mean the Bussian Trans-
Caspian Bailway, which, proceeding north-east from
Merv, is already constructed to Andijan, on the
borders of the Chinese province of Sin Kiang, which
has recently been accorded by us to Bussia, and is,
as a matter fact, under Bussian domination. From
the point to which this Bussian Trans-Caspian line
has akeady been constructed there is a perfectly
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230 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
practicable route tnroing the flank of the monQtainons
country of Thibet for a railway down through Sin
Eiang to Singan-fu. Hon. Members will see that
with the completion of this line Bussia not only has
her Siberian railway tapping North China, but she
will have her Trans-Caspian line penetrating into
the very heart of Central China and dominating the
Tangtsze Valley.
The Government do not appear to have even
sought from Bussia the recognition of similar pre-
ferential rights in our favour in Thibet, the only
territory now left between India and the Bussian
sphere. While a comparatively poor country like
Bussia is not hesitating to spend over 100,000,0002.
sterling on these projects, which will enable her
finally to reap a rich harvest as regards both her
commercial and political interests, what, I ask, is
England doing? The British Government, so far,
appear to have lost those qualities of enterprise,
courage, and foresight which characterised our fore-
fathers, and by virtue of which our world-vnde
British Empire has been built up. Not only have
they refused, as a matter of high imperial poUcy, to
give any encouragement or guarantee to a railway
from British Burma to the upper Yangtsze as a
counterpoise to the Bussian railways, but they have
actually stopped the construction of the railway to
Eunlon Ferry, in British Burma ; and this at a
time when France is vigorously pushing on with the
construction of her railway from Tonkin through
Yunnan to Szechuan, by which she will draw the
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 281
trade of Sonth-west China through French territories
with the aid of protective tanfb, instead of our being
able to carry on a free and unrestricted trade through
British Burma.
British capitalists at Tientsin were perfectly
prepared to construct a railway from Tientsin to
Ealgan, which is the trade route into Mongolia, but
were informed by the Foreign Office that they could
not support such an application, as Ealgan was in
the sphere conceded to Bussia under the Anglo-
Bussian Agreement, though it is far away from
Manchuria. This line of railway, being an exten-
sion of the Tientsin-Pekin line to Ealgan, would
have been the most powerful barrier against Bussian
advance southwards.
An important factor in considering the course of
events in North China, and an important and power-
ful influence in the direction of keeping it open to
trade, is the fact that the interests of Japan are identical
with our own, and that Japan is prepared to uphold
her rights resolutely when assailed by Bussia. Japan
having a population increasing at the rate of hdii a
million a year, and her cultivable area being com-
paratively small, it is absolutely essential that she
should have room for expansion. The natural ex-
pansion of Japan, whether as regards climate,
fertility of soil, fisheries, or mineral wealth, is into
Korea. From my interviews with Japanese states-
men, I gathered that, even at the risk of war, they
would prevent any Bussian interference with what
they consider their priority of right in Korea. More-
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232 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT OEISIS
over, the active oo-operation of Japan could be
counted on in any effort to uphold throughout China
the treaty rights of all nations.
With regard to Eiao-chau, the Germans know
their own minds, and I saw not fewer than 6,000
Chinamen at work constructing the harbour works
and building the railway into the interior of
Shan-tung, whilst palatial buildings were springing
up on all sides. The contrast between the activity
of the Bussians at Port Arthur and of the Germans
at Eiau-chau and our do-nothing policy at Wei-
hai-Wei, after having somewhat ostentatiously
announced to the world that we had taken that place
as a counterpoise to Port Arthur, is most humili-
ating. At Wei-hai-Wei not a single fort has been
constructed, not one gun mounted; practically no
buildings have been erected, and even the pier, with
30 feet of water afe the end, which had been damaged
by the blowing-up of a Chinese man-of-war, has not
yet been repaired, though the uprights were ready
to receive the superstructure. Beyond a little
dredging, the construction of water-condensing
apparatus, and the drilling of a few Chinese soldiers,
nothing seems to have been done. When I went to
the top of the island at Wei-hai-Wei I wished the
First Lord of the Treasury had been there with me ;
for when I condemned the right hon. gentleman's
action in having, unasked by Gtermany, precluded
us from connecting Wei-hai-Wei with the interior of
Shan-tung by railway, he interposed the remark
that it was physically impossible. I could look
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STATBMBNTIN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 238
aicross the conntry towards Chefoo without being
able to see a hill a hundred feet high. And when,
again, from the top of the pinnacle at Chefoo, I
looked towards Wei-hai-Wei, the experience was
the same. The fact is that few railways in the
world would be so easy of construction as one from
Wei-hai-Wei to Chefoo, and in at least two other
directions leading from the territory appertaining to
Wei-hai-Wei through rich valleys into the interior of
Shan-tung, the same is true. Wei-hai-Wei might
have been made a great success as a commercial
port had we not thus tied our hands. The road-
stead at Chefoo is most exposed, and for days
together in the winter ships can neither load nor
discharge. With proper facilities a large portion of
the trade done through Chefoo would have been
transferred to Wei-hai-Wei. As, however, the situa-
tion is to-day, Bussia having succeeded in convert-
ing the question in North China from a sea to a
land question, it is very doubtful whether money
ought to be spent on Wei-hai-Wei. In all pro-
bability the best course would be to hand Wei-hai-Wei
over to Germany, if she, in return, would support
oxur taking another naval base at or near the mouth
of the Tang-tsze Eiver.
The Government announced in this House that
concessions had been got for British subjects for
2,800 miles of railways in China. But terms and
conditions enabling the carrying-out of the projects
have not yet been arranged in connection with a
smgle concession. The Shanghai to Nankin and
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234 C5HINA AND THE PEBSBNT CEISIS
several other concessions were given as reparation
for the breach of faith on the part of the Chinese
Government in giving the Pekin-Hankow Concession
to foreign Powers over onr heads. Therefore in
regard to these oar Government should stand no
nonsense as to the terms and conditions upon which
they should be built. Under the treaty of Tientsin
we are entitled to equally favourable terms and con-
ditions to those granted by the Chinese Government
to Bussia, France, and Germany ; but we find that
the Chinese Government are insisting upon a mixed
Chinese and European control, which has proved, in
the case of the Newchwang Extension Bailway, to
be surrounded by difficulties. Our Government
should insist on the British concessionnaires having
complete control of the security, that is, to pay
interest and repay principal, with a guarantee of
non*interference and the maintenance of our rights,
giving only the Chinese Government an option of
taking over the railways on certain terms and condi-
tions. The Bussians, Germans, and French will
enjoy this control ; why not the British ? The
confidence of the British investor was disturbed by
the way in which the Government allowed Bussia
to dictate the terms and conditions upon which the
Newchwang Extension Loan should be concluded,
and by the unsatisfactory way in which the mixed
control has since operated ; for though they offered
12,000,000Z. sterling against 2,800,000Z. required
when that loan was floated, it is questionable
whether the money would now be forthcoming for
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 285
even the cream of the railway concessions unless
obtained on the terms and conditions I have men-
tioned. With regard to the terms and conditions
upon which the concessions for these — what we
may term — reparation railways, I find that on
September 4, 1898, Sir Claude MacDonald stated in
a despatch that the terms accorded for the construc-
tion of these lines will not be inferior to the terms
granted for the constraction of any railways in
China proper, and that they had agreed to send him
a confidential Note to that effect. This would have
secured terms and conditions equal to those granted
to Germany for the railways she is constructing in
Shan-tung ; but, within a few days, under instruc-
tions from the First Lord of the Treasury, Sir
Claude MacDonald accepted these concessions on
not less favourable conditions than those granted to
the concessionnaires for the Pekin and Hankow
Eailway. Those terms and conditions are workable
when in the hands of concessionnaires having at
their back the Governments of Bussia and France,
but are useless to British concessionnaires so long as
they do not receive the proper support from the
British Government.
An American syndicate entered into a preliminary
contract with the Chinese Government for the build-
ing of a railway from Hankow to Canton, and also
made a provisional agreement with an English
syndicate, with the object of having this railway
constructed by an Anglo-American company.
The Chinese Government, however, have thrown
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236 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
every obstacle in the way of the ratification of this
concession on terms and conditions not less favour-
able to those granted to other Powers, whilst the
French Gk)vemment have actively intervened to
prevent the carrying through of the concession, and
claimed that unless the American syndicate is pre-
pared to construct the line on the terms and condi-
tions of the Pekin and Hankow Concession the
right to construct the railway falls into their hands.
The question of by whom this important railway is
to be constructed is one vitally affecting the future
of the Chinese Empire ; for, if the concessionnaires
of the Pekin and Hankow Bailway are allowed to
secure this concession, it will give to Bussia and
France a railway system through the heart of the
Chinese Empire from the extreme north to the
extreme south, and will place them practically in
military occupation of it. I hope, therefore, to hear
from the Under-Secretary that Her Majesty's
Government are vigorously supporting the United
States Government in insisting that this railway,
penetrating as it does from the south right into the
heart of our supposed sphere of interest, the Yang-
tsze basin, shall not be given to any other foreign
Powers.
To show how Her Majesty's Government
fails to sustain British rights in China, I may
instance the Pekin Syndicate. This corporation
was promised a concession for a railway to connect
its mineral properties in Shansi with the navigable
limits of the Yangtsze Biver. But, whilst the
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 287
application for such oommtmication has bemi flatly
refused to the British oompany, there has been
secured by the concessionaires of the Pekin-Hankow
Bailway the right to construct a railway from Eai-
f eng-fu to Honan-fu, with the option of extending it
to Singan-fu, thus barring the road for the con-
struction of the railway promised to the Pekin
Sjmdicate.
Another achievement of Her Majesty's Govern-
ment was the Yangtsze Valley Agreement, which, even
now, many people in this country imagine secures to us
the Yangtsze Basin as a special sphere of influence
in which we have priority of rights. This, however,
is an absolute myth. Bussia, France, Germany,
and Japan are all to-day more actively engaged in
advancing their commercial and political interests in
the rich Yangtsze Basin than we are ours. They
have sovereign rights over various areas at Shanghai,
Hankow, and elsewhere, whilst we have none.
A further surrender on the part of Her Majesty's
Gk)vemment is in regard to the extension of the
French settlement at Shanghai. A firm stand was
originally taken against this demand by the Secre-
tary of State for Foreign AfiEedrs ; and backed up as
it was at the time by the United States of America,
it was understood that the demand would not be
granted. How little needed such a concession was
will be made very clear when I state that in the
French concession already in existence there ^e
only seventeen Frenchmen resident ; and yet, not-
withstanding this^ our diplomatists have again given
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288 OHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
way. France has got the extension of her conces-
sion, and British prestige has once more been
lowered in the eyes of the Chinese Government.
In one debate in this House we heard with great
satisfaction that Her Majesty's Gtovemment hsA at
length determined to do something to uphold British
commercial interests by the placing of gmiboats on
the inland waterways of China for the protection of
British trade. Two gunboats were sent out to
patrol the upper Yangtsze more than twelve
months ago; but, though their crews have been
paid by the British taxpayer and they have been on
the spot all this time, they have yet to make the
first ascent of that portion of the river which they
were intended to patrol ; and the Under-Secretary
informed us the other day that they were going to
attempt this next month. The fact is, that these
two boats, the 'Woodcock' and the *Woodlark,*
are unsuitable for the purpose, both as regards con-
struction and steaming power. As they have to go
up rapids sometimes running thirteen and fourteen
knots an hour and steam only eleven knots, it is
obvious they can only mount the rapids with assist-
ance from shore, and they would be useless, there,
fore, if a hostile attitude were assumed by the
inhabitants of the district. The whirlpools and
cross-currents of the river are in places so strong that
the gunboats ought to have paddle-wheels instead
of screws, and it is ridiculous to send out boats con-
structed of plates under one-eighth of an inch thick
instead of being at least three-sixteenths for a river of
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF CiOMMONS 339
the character of the upper Yangtsze. Apparently
withont any inquiry whatever, when gunboats were
needed for the upper Yangtsze, the Admiralty decided
to send out two Nile gunboats. This is a serious
matter, so far as the commercial interests of this
country are concerned, because a British cargo-
steamer is expected to be plying on the upper
Yangtsze within the next month or two ; and in all
probability the half-million Chinamen now carrying
on the trade on the river will regard this innovation as
a menace to theur livelihood, and trouble will arise.
It is imperative that gunboats capable of going
wherever they may be required, without shore
assistance and without regard to the state of the
river, should be placed on the upper Yangtsze
immediately. The 'Woodcock' and *Woodlark,'
now there, should be transferred to the West Eiver,
as on that river the old * Tweed * can steam only two
knots against the current, and the ' Sandpiper * four
knots, which, all will agree, renders them quite
unable to cope effectually with the pirates who
infest that district. The pirates on the West Biver
have more than once seized British-owned steamers,
ransacked them, and then used them for capturing
richly laden native junks. But up to the present
time no punishment whatever has been inflicted on
the perpetrators of these outrages. It is true we are
told that the Admiral is now considering the question
of how best to repress the piracy. But why now?
Why not twelve months ago ? Why were the gun-
boats in the district prevented for so long a time
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340 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT GBISIS
from taking any effeoidve measures for the repression
of the piraoy which has been so rife?
Then, with regard to the opening np of all the
inland waterways of China, the agreement with the
Chinese Government was annonnced in this House
as one which would make it possible to take British
merchandise in British ships, not merely to the
ports recognised by treaty, but to every riverside
town and station in the whole interior of China.
On the strength of this agreement leading British
shipping firms in China expended 60,0002. in build-
ing steamers to trade from Hong Eong and Canton
up the West Biver. So far, however, from these
steamers being allowed to take British goods to
every riverside town and station, they have not been
permitted to load or discharge cargo at intervening
places between the treaty ports. They have conse-
quently been working at a considerable loss, and
several have been taken off altogether. The right
hon. gentleman the Under-Secretary for Foreign
ASsirs, in answer to a question I put to him the
other day * on this subject, said this was not within
the knowledge of the Foreign Office. In view,
however, of the lengthy correspondence between
the shipping firms in China and the British Lega-
tion in Pekin on this question, it seems extra-
ordinary that the Foreign Office should not have
received this important information. In reply to a
further question, the right hon. gentleman said the
* See the ParU<mmt(ury Debates [Foorih Series], vol. Ixzx.
p. 1180.
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 241
agreement with the Chinese Government permitted
foreigners to trade in steamers where native boats
had been permitted, but this did not include every
riverside town and station. I must, however, refer
the right hon. gentleman to the express declaration
made in this House by his predecessor, Mr. Curzon,
to which I have already alluded. I am informed by
those engaged in trading on the Chinese inland
waterways that native boats are permitted to trade
with every riverside town and station, and also
escape with lower duties. This being so, it is
obviously impossible for British steamers to compete
when they are required to have one steamer to trade
between treaty ports and a second with the other
riverside towns and stations, both boats running
probably half empty ; whereas, if, according to the
agreement, they were allowed to load and discharge
cargo at every riverside town and station, whether
treaty ports or not, one steamer would do
where two are now employed, and a profitable trade
would be carried on. I have repeatedly pressed the
Government to insist upon the carrying out in its
entirety of this agreement with the Chinese Govern-
ment, and I should be glad to learn from the right
hon. gentleman to-night that the Government are
determined to insist on this.
With regard to South China and Western China,
in the course of my journey I penetrated through
the Yangtsze gorges 1,600 miles up the Yangtsze
Biver. I travelled some distance into the rich
province of Szechuan, with its fifty millions of
B
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242 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OBISIS
induBtrions and prosperous inhabitants. I f oond this
province is covered by French Jesuit priests, who,
in addition to the work of a religious propaganda,
gather and transmit to the French Government
information as to the mineral wealth and the
commercial possibilities of the country. They have
practically completed a geological survey of the
province, and now the French are pressing for
exclusive rights to work minerals in six districts
which they believe to be rich in mineral wealth.
They have also prepared a chart of the Yangtsze
Biver, which was to me of invaluable service. As in
South Africa it has been found that we actually had
no knowledge of the country around Ladysmith,
though it had been our military headquarters for
years, so in China our charts are out of date, and
therefore useless. An Admiralty chart of the
Yangtsze was prepared in 1861, and some slight
corrections have been made since, but it is at the
present time no guide to the navigation of a river of
the changing character of the Yangtsze.
I have again and again drawn the attention of
the Government to the agreement of January,
1896, between the British Government and the
French Government, under which each nation bound
itself to use its best offices with the Chinese
Government to secure for the other similar and in-
creased opportunities and facilities for trading with
Yunnan and Szechuan. This agreement has been
entirely disregarded by the French Government
without calling forth any remonstrance from Her
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 248
Majesty's Government. Nanning-fa, the treaty
port on the West Biver, which was declared to be
open more than a year ago (as was admitted the
other night by the right hon. gentleman) still
remains miopened. And rememb^ing the violent
opposition on the part of the French to the opening
of Nanning-fu, one cannot but feel that in all pro-
bability the delay in the opening is due to French
influence. I hope to hear from the right hon.
gentleman that Her Majesty's Government will not
allow further delay, as we have a right to expect
that the state of a£fairs under which British goods
have to be transhipped from Hong Kong, sent
through Tonkin up to South-west China, and are
subjected to a differential duty of 10 per cent, when
passing through French temtory, shall be ended
without delay.
The French are busily engaged in constructing
a railway from Tonkin towards Yunnan, with the
intention of ultimately carrying it forward into
Szechuan, and of drawing the trade of South-west
China down to the sea through French Indo-China,
and with the declared expectation that sooner or
later Franbe will be able to annex Szechuan,
Yunnan, Kwang-si, and Kwang-tung — the four
great Chinese provinces to the north of her Indo-
China possessions. When we have regard to the
fact that seven-eighths of the imports into French
Indo-China in 1886 went from England, Germany,
and Switzerland, and that to-day, owing to differ-
ential duties in favour of French goods, amounting
b2
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244 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT OBISIS
in some cases to 50 per cent., three-fonrths of
the imports go from France, and only one-fonrth
from the rest of the world, we have an object-lesson
of the vital importance of resolutely upholding our
just commercial rights in South and South-west
China, if in the future we are not to see British
trade strangled by diff^ential tarilb in those regions
also.
Her Majesty's Government took great credit for
the Eau-lung extension opposite Hong Eong. But
I find that the value of the extension was very much
reduced by the obstinacy with which the home
authorities, contrary to the strongly expressed
opinion of both civil and mihtary authorities out
there, accepted the present boundary, which formjs
no natural defence. The river is easily fordable
in many places ; it is considerably south of the
head of Mirs Bay, included in the concession,
and besides contains no healthy camping ground.
They ought to have insisted that the boundary
should be a natural line of mountains running
slightly north of the head of Mirs Bay, which
would have given a healthy camping ground
and a strong natural frontier. It will be in the
recollection of the House that, owing to the oppo-
sition to the British when taking possession, we
occupied Sam Chun, outside the boundary, where we
had a most healthy camp. However, while I was
at Hong Kong, instructions came from home that,
under arrangements made with the Chinese Go-
vernment, Sam Chun was to be evacuated. This, it
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STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OP COMMONS 246
was believed, had been done because the French had
pointed out to the Chinese Gk>vemment that we had
been allowed to occupy a territory beyond the con-
cession agreed upon, and that they were in conse-
quence claiming further concessions around their
newly acquired treaty port in the south. If this
was so, the result at any rate was not creditable to
British diplomacy, for within a week of our evacua-
tion of Sam Chun the French demands were con-
ceded in full by the Chinese Government.
Again and again in this House declarations of
policy have been made by Her Majesty's Govern-
ment which, if carried out, would have given the
greatest satisfaction to everybody interested in the
upholding and the extending of our commercial
interests in the Far East. But, unfortunately,
whether in regard to agreements such as the Anglo-
Bussian Agreement, in the matter of railway con-
cessions, the opening of the inland waterways, the
patrolling by gunboats of the Yangtsze and the
West Bivers, or the terms and conditions upon which
the acquisition of Wei-hai-Wei and Kau-lung have
been secured, all alike have proved delusive and
unsatisfactory. And I do not hesitate to say that
in China our prestige and influence, which were
predominant five years ago, are non-existent to-day.
The Blue-book issued yesterday is unfortunately
largely a further record of failure on the part of
Her Majesty's Gk)vemment to deal successfully with
the Tsung-h-Yamen. This voluminous paper hardly
contains one instance where a distinct diplomatic
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246 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CEISIS
success has been achieved. What, then, ought Her
Majesty's Government to do, in view of accomplished
facts in the Far East, in order to retrieve as far as
possible the disastrous results of their neglect to
pursue a firm and definite policy? The under-
standing arrived at between the United States
Government and the other nations interested in the
trade of China, securing, if faithfully observed, the
maintenance of the open door, appears to a£ford
another golden opportunity for seeking the further
friendly co-operation of the Great Powers in the
promotion of administrative reforms, so greatly
needed for the strengthening of the Imperial Go-
vernment and for maintaining the integrity of China,
the necessity for which the United States Govern-
ment so fully recognise.
All authorities in China agree that a serious
mistake was made in allowing the deposition of the
Emperor last year, and the assumption of the
control of China by the reactionary Dowager
Empress, who is a usurper and has no title whatever
to occupy her present position. In view of the
somewhat alarming news as to the disturbed con-
dition and anti-foreign feeling in various parts of
China, joint action ought, in my opinion, to be taken
by the Powers, to replace the Emperor on the
throne ; for it is undoubted that his sympathies are
genuinely in favour of reform and the opening up of
his country to trade. But, in addition to this, I
would draw the attention of Her Majesty's Govern-
ment to the fact that the Chinese Government
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STATBMBNTIN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 247
would be powerless to resist the aggression, territori-
ally and otherwise, of other Powers unless she is
enabled to have her naval and military forces re-
organised. This she cannot do unless her revenues
are considerably increased. I would therefore
strongly urge that the time has come for a revision
of the customs tariff in China, and that at present
the maritime customs import duty of 5 per cent.,
which is a maximum of 5 per cent., and in many
cases really much less, should be substantially in-
creased, on the condition that not only every
riverside town and station, but also the interior of
China, is freely thrown open to. foreign trade, and
that some satisfactory rearrangement to secure the
equitable levying of likin would be included in the
agreement. The proportion should be fixed that is
to be paid into the provincial and imperial treasuries
respectively. Some system of paying officials, so as
to render it possible for them to hve without
corruptly applying any portion of the revenues
which pass, tbrough their hands, is essential. It
would appear desirable that the increased revenues
thus obtained by China should be allocated to specific
purposes, and should be given only on condition that
an agreed amount be expended on the reorganisa-
tion of the mihtary and naval forces of China, under
officers to be jointly provided by those Powers who
do not desire the partition of the country ; that a
further sum be applied to river conservancy, with a
view of improving the navigation of such great
commercial arteries of the Chinese Empire as the
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248 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISI8
Yangtsze and West Bivers, under the control of
international conservancy boards ; and that there be
a previous ratification, on satisfactory terms and
conditions, of railway concessions promised to British
concessionnaires.
If joint action were taken by the United States
of America, England, Japan, and Germany in
support of the policy I have indicated, it would be
difficult for Bussia and France to hold aloof. I
have always recognised the vast importance to
British trade of the development of our Indian
Empire. But the great Empire of China, with its
four hundred millions of industrious trading people,
its greater fertility of soil, and its enormous
mineral resources, is in my opinion of still greater
importance to the British nation, considered from a
commercial point of view. I therefore earnestly
hope that the Under-Secretary for Foreign Aibirs
may be able to assure the House to-night that this
policy of preserving China for the Chinese, and de-
veloping her resources in the interests alike of the
population of that country and of all nations, will
receive the vigorous and determined support of Her
Majesty's Government ; for in this way, and in this
way alone, can the just influence and commercial
rights of the British nation be preserved in the Far
East.
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349
CHAPTEB XV
TEE PBE8ENT 0BI8I8
SiNCB I reviewed the situation in China on
March 30 last, very grave events have occurred with
startling rapidity. I then said that the neglect of
the British Government to take vigorous measures
at the time of the coup d'itat in 1898 to prevent
the setting aside of the Emperor was a most serious
mistake and would have far-reaching consequences.
I pointed out that the reactionary Dowager Empress
is a usurper and has no title whatever to exercise the
functions of government. I drew attention to the
disturbed condition and anti-foreign feeling in vari-
ous parts of China and urged that joint action ought
to be taken by the Powers to replace the Emperor on
the throne, as his sympathies were undoubtedly in
favour of reform.
This statement and the policy indicated were
ridiculed by the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs.
Few, however, realised at that time how impera-
tive it was that not a day should be lost in carrying
out what I advocated, viz. : the compulsory retire-
ment of the Empress Dowager and the restoration
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350 CHINA AND THE PEBSENT OBISIS
of the yonng Emperor to practical power by con-
certed action on the part of England and all the
other Powers who could have been induced to join
her.
The Hong Eong China Association early in last
year sent a communication to the Foreign Office
strongly representing that trouble was brewing in
China, and that an anti-foreign outbreak was almost
certain to take place.
They expressed their strong conviction that it
was of the highest importance that adequate naval
and military forces should be concentrated at Wei-
hai-Wei or Hong Eong in order that they might be
promptly available for the protection of the lives and
property of British subjects in any part of China.
Both the Foreign Office and Sir Claude Macdonald
unfortunately disregarded this warning, and we were
therefore unable, when the uprising occurred, to place
a sufficient force on the ground without delay.
It is clear that a lamentable and fatal ignorance
as to what was transpiring in China prevailed both
at the Foreign Office and at the British Legation in
Pekin. We have been indebted to the ' Times ' corre-
spondent much more than to the British Legation
for information about what has occurred from day
to day in Pekin for some years past.
With regard to the present anti-foreign outbreak,
however, not only the British Legation but even
Sir Bobert Hart appears to have been in ignorance
of the fact that it was impending. It is only fair
also to remember that the representatives of other
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THE PBESENT CRISIS 261
Powers at Pekin have been equally taken by
surprise.
No doubt many causes have led to the uprising
of the Chinese against the foreigners. Foremost
among them I place the absence of any firm and
definite policy on the part of England and the
consequent arbitrary and aggressive action of Bussia
and Germany in extorting concessions enabling
them to ent^ into military occupation of Chinese
territory.
Thisunjust interference undoubtedly strengthened
the hands of the reactionary and anti-foreign
Empress Dowager and her following, and made the
1898 coup d'itat possible. Under the influence of
her reactionary ministers the establishment of
Boxers* societies was encouraged.
The moderate men were one by one got rid of,
and finally came the outburst which a refusal on the
part of the Powers to allow the supersession of the
Emperor in 1898 would have prevented. From the
time of the Chino- Japanese war the British Govern-
ment should have shown a resolute determination to
preserve China for the Chinese and to keep that
Empire equally open to the trade of all nations, in
accordance with the treaties of Nankin and Tientsin.
In this policy we could have relied upon the co-
operation of Japan and the United States of
America.
All the Chinese statesmen I interviewed spoke
bitterly of their great disappointment that England,
whom they had always regarded as their best friend,
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263 CHINA AND THE PRESENT OBIBIB
had not stood by them and enabled them to resist
aggressions.
It seems clear now that the Chinese^ though
apparently jrielding to every demand made upon
them which was backed by force, were at the same
time quietly but vigorously engaged in preparing for
a single-handed effort to expel the intruders.
How ignorant all nations were of the extent to
which the Chinese army has lately been equipped
with the best modem artillery and rifles and trained
in their use is shown by the unhesitating and confi-
dent maimer in which a mixed international force
of under 2,000 men set out and made a gallant
attempt to relieve Pekin.
With regard to the present situation the first duty
of the Powers is to restore law and order where anarchy
and bloodshed now reign, and then to set up a more
enlightened and stable government in China. The
great viceroys, Liu Kun Yi, Chang Chih Tung, and
others who are believed to be doing their utmost to
protect foreigners and to maintain order throughout
the vast territories they govern, vnll earn the grati-
tude of the civilised world and promote the interests
of their own country by continuing in that course.
These viceroys, if in favour of reform, as I believe,
should be included in the Gtovemment which must
be formed under the protection of the Powers. To
encourage them and to strengthen their hands, it
should be distinctly intimated to the viceroys that
not only can they rely on receiving any assistance
that may be necessary now, but that we will
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THE PBESENT CRISIS 258
guarantee them the follest protection hereafter
should any attempt be made to inflict punishment
upon them in consequence of their friendly action.
The Chinese people could then, without fear of conse-
quences, show their real views, and I am confident
it would be found that the reformers are a not in-
considerable body. The greatest difficulty may be a
divergence of opinion among the Powers as to what
ought to be done at the conclusion of hostilities;
but the recent declaration of policy on the part of
G«rm%ny in Count von Bfilow*s Circular leaves
nothing to be desired, and if England, Japan, and
the United States of America give it their united
support, Bussia and France are bound to fall into
line. Germany's policy is defined in that Circular
to be ' the restoration of security for the person, the
property, and the work of subjects of the German
Empire in China, the rescue of the foreigners be-
sieged in Pekin, the re-establishment and the safe-
guarding of law and order under a proper Chinese
Government, and retribution and satisfaction for the
barbarities which have been perpetrated. We
desire no partition of China ; we have no separate
advantages for ourselves in view. The Imperial
Government feels convinced that the maintenance
of the understanding among the Powers is the pre-
liminary condition of the restoration of peace and
order in China.'
The Government of the United States of America
obtained certain assurances from the Powers in
regard to the maintenance throughout China of the
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264 CHINA AND THB PBEBENT OBIBIS
open door equally for the trade of all nations, and at
that time nrged the necessity for the introduction
of administratiye reforms into the government of
the country.
It is more than unfortunate that the exigencies
of a presidential election should apparently paralyse
their action at this important crisis, but it is to be
hoped that when the election is over we may have
their vigorous co-operation in support of the just
policy they so ably and successfully promoted and
advocated.
Having regard to the fact, as stated in the House
of Commons the other day, that out of a total
Chinese foreign trade of seventy millions sterling last
year the share of the British Empire was forty-three
millions, and that this is capable of indefinite ex-
pansion, it is clear that our commercial interests are
vitally bound up in the maintenance of * the open
door.'
It has been assumed that Great Britain has
effectively claimed priority of right in the Yangtsze
basin as her sphere. This assumption is not
justified, because Japan, Germany, the United
States of America, Bussia, and France are as actively
engaged in promoting their conmiercial interests in
the Yangtsze valley as we are, and some of them have
even acquired quasi-sovereign possession of portions
of territory therein. We have, therefore, no priority.
Put shortly, then, the policy of the British Govern-
ment should be — to strenuoudy seek, in concert with
other nations, to secure the removal of those now in
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THE PBESENT OBISIS 265
power in Peldn, and to set up in China a stable and
enlightened Goyemment nnder the protection of
the Powers, so that China may be preserved for the
Chinese and remain open equally to the trade of all
nations. This policy is identical with that of Count
von Bulow.
It is of vital importance to the future prosperity
of the British Empire that the Chinese problem
should be solved on just and equitable lines.
The various concessions, whether in regard to
railways or the opening up of the inland water-
wajrs, so that British ships could take British
goods to any riverside town or station, remain a
dead letter.
When a settlement is arrived at it is essential
that it should include the rearrangement of the
commercial treaties, so that the Chinese Government
shall receive substantially increased import duties,
on the following conditions :
Firstly, that all likin is abolished, and that in lieu
of it the provincial governments shall receive a
certain proportion of the increased revenues.
Secondly, that the officials are adequately paid, so
that it may no longer be excusable to appropriate
money passing through their hands.
Thirdly, that the inland waterways and the
interior of China shall be opened freely and equally
to the trade of all nations, and that a sum shall be
allocated out of the imperial revenues to be expended
under International Conservancy Boards in removing
obstructions to navigation on the Yangtsze, West,
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266 CHINA AND THE PRESENT CRISIS
Yellow, and other rivers, which are or will be the
great commercial arteries of the Chinese Empire.
Fourthly, that the Chinese Government shall be
given the right to take over, on specified terms and
conditions, all railways bnilt with foreign capital —
the undertakings being mortgaged to and remaining
under the control of the companies providing the
capital until principal and interest have been repaid.
To place Great Britain in a position to exercise
the powerful influence which her vast commercial
interests demand in connection with the settlement
I have ventured to suggest, and to prevent her being
overshadowed by any other Power in the arrange-
ments required for the constitution of a new Chinese
Government, she must now take a full share in the
task of restoring order. The situation appears to
demand an augmentation of our naval and military
forces, especially the latter, beyond the reinforce-
ments already announced ; and I can only express
the hope that more foresight will be shown by Her
Majesty's Government in preparing for all possible
contingencies than was the case in regard to South
Africa.
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267
CHAPTER XVI
NOTES ON A VISIT TO JAPAN AND KOREA
An American writer has said of Japan : ' It is nn-r
questionably the unique nation of the globe — the
land of dream and enchantment^ the land which
could hardly differ more from our own were it
located on another planet, its people not of this
world/ and this I largely endorse.
Now, think of a nation homogeneous to a degree*
living under a single dynasty dating back 2,500 years,
and during all those years having the sentiment of
loyalty taught and cherished till it became a passion
and an object of worship ; think of the national pride
engendered by the fact that not once in all those
many centuries has the foot of an invader been
suffered to press the soil.
'THB OLD OBDEB CHANGBTH *
The following paragraph admirably summarises
the marvellous change which has tsji:en place in
Japan almost in a single generation: 'Japan,
secluded for over two centuries from contact with
the outer world, was burst open by the American
expedition in 1863-4 under the command of
s
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358 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
Commodore Ferry. Making a virtue of neoeasityy
her rulers soon determined to Enropeanise the
comitry, as the best means of preserving its indepen-
dence. Ships were bought, foreign naval and mili-
tary instructors engaged, feudalism replaced by a
centralised autocracy, education reorganised on
the pattern presented by Western nations, posts,
telegraphs, and railways introduced, European dress>
European manners, European amusements adopted,
Buddhism disestablished, Christianity — if not en-
couraged — tolerated by the constitution. In short,
in every sphere of activity, the old order gave place
to the new. The change has been specially marked
since the successful war with China in 1894-6, the
prestige then acquired having given an extraordinsCry
impetus to trade and industry on European lines.
But even Japan, great as is the power of imitation
and assimilation possessed by her people, has not
been able completely to transform her whole material,
mental, and social being within the limits of a single
lifetime. Fortunately for the curious observer, she
continues in a state of transition, less Japanese and
more European day by day, it is true, but still retain-
ing characteristics of her own, especially in the dress,
manners, and beliefs of the lower classes. Those
who wish to see as much as possible of the old order
of things should come quickly.*
VOLOANOBB
The country is mountainous and has compara-
tively little flat land. The mountains of Japan are.
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EABTHQUAEES 259
for the most part, volcanic. Many of them are still
active, and number 170. Earthquakes are frequent.
Minor shocks average from thirty or forty to several
hundreds annually — I have experienced several —
and of severe shocks history shows that there have
been some two or three in each century, entailing
the overthrow of dwellings and great destruction of
human and animal life.
VBGBTABLB PBODUOTS
Bich soil, a genial climate, and a sufficient rain-
fall produce luxuriant vegetation; cultivated fields
and gardens succeed each other through wide areas.
Moreover, the main island possesses very great
varieties of vegetation. In Nankaido (Southern
Sea highway region) are thick verdant forests,
abounding in giant trees. Sugar-cane, tobacco,
and cotton find a soil congenial to their growth ; the
cocoa, the banyan tree, and the banana flourish in
the Biukiu and Ogasawara Islands. In short, the
general aspect is tropical. Passing thence to the
Central districts, great varieties of vegetation are
found. The pine, the oak, the camphor tree, and
the bamboo grow in the woods ; while the mulberry,
the tea-plant, the lacquer-tree, millet, the five cereals,
and various kinds of fruits and vegetables are seen
in the fields and gardens. Finally, even in Hokkaido,
though the cold is great, the soil is fertile and the
vegetation luxuriant.
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260 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
FISH AND BIRDS
All along the coast fish and crustaceans are
fonnd in such abundance that they more than suffice
for the ordinary food of the inhabitants. Of birds
there is a great variety, some possessing beautiful
plumage, others melodious notes, and others being
suitable for food. In the last-mentioned class are
fowls and ducks. The silkworm is largely reared
throughout the main island, the climate and soil
being particularly suitable for the purpose.
NATIVB OOOUPATIONS
The people of the main island live chiefly upon
rice, vegetables, and fish. The great majority of
those in the interior engage in agriculture, while
those on the coasts devote their time to fishing.
PBOTBOTIVB WOBEB
As we approached Yokohama I had pointed out to
me the entrance to the Naval Arsenal, which is said
to be impregnable. There are also strongly fortified
positions on the hills, and forts erected at intervals
across the bay. We landed^in steam-launches.
NOYBL OABBIAGBS
Carriages drawn by horses are somewhat rare in
Japan. A light two-wheeled carriage known as a
'jinricksha,* and drawn by men, is the usual
means of locomotion. I greatly envied the magni-
ficent muscular development of the legs of the
* jinricksha-men.'
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AN BXTOETIONATB CLAIM 261
OUSTOM-HOtrSB BXPBBIBNOB
I had a somewhat novel experience at the
Custom House, where^ in my absence, three of my
boxes were forcibly opened and a box of new neck-
ties taken out. The officials demanded a larger
amount for duty than the actual cost in England.
This I refused on principle to pay, as, in the first
place, the proper duty under the new treaty is only
15 per cent, on silk goods, and also because they were
articles of wearing apparel, just the same as my
collars and shirts, and therefore not liable to duty.
After a certain amount of correspondence the neck-
ties were returned, and it was admitted that a
mistake had been made in taking the package from
my trunk and in holding it for duty.
RAILWATB
Thirty years ago there was not a railway in
Japan. Now there are over 3,000 miles of railways,
which for the most part pay well. Poor though
Japan is, comparatively speaking, the Japanese so
appreciate the fact that railways ure tiie most
powerful factor in advancing the prosperity and
development of a country, that, notwithstanding
their heavy burden for armaments, they are going
to spend twelve millions sterling between this
year and 1905 in the laying down of railways.
Travelling is slow, but fairly comfortable. One
thousand miles of railway belong to the State ; and
there is a strong movement in favour of the
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262 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBIBIS
nationaliBation of railways, which I hope will be
sucoessfol. Bailway fares nm about one penny a
mile first class and a farthing per mile third.
At the stations you hear the musical calls of men
offering for sale newspapers and refreshments ; sub-
stantieJ Japanese luncheons of fish, rice, and pickles
can be had for twopence halfpenny each. Sake, beer,
and biscuits are also sold.
SIMTTiABITY IN POSITION OF JAPAN AND ENGLAND
The Japanese consider that, inhabiting as they
do a group of islands somewhat similar to the British
Isles, they are in many respects in the same posiidon
as England. Many, therefore, attach more impor-
tance to having a strong navy than a strong army,
though, having adopted largely the German forms of
military organisation, conscription is in force, and
every Japanese when he attains the ageof twenty must
serve two years in the army. They have begun to
realise that with a population increasing at the rate
of 400,000 a year it is essential, since their cultivable
land is limited in area, that they, like England,
should establish more industries and become a
manufacturing nation. Lacking as they do natural
resources in the shape of iron ore, and having only a
limited quantity of coal and lumber, they are un-
likely to be serious competitors vnth England or
America so far as the iron and steel trades are con-
cerned.
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JAPANESE JOUBNALS 363
BDUOATION
It is becoming a rare thing to find a man or a
woman unable to read or write, although the labour
inyolved in this acquirement is infinitely greater than
that imposed upon the learner in any Western land.
The Japanese are making good progress education-
ally. They have more than three millions of children
in their elementary day-schools, and the education
of every child oyer six years of age is compulsory.
They have adopted the German system as their
model, and are building splendid schools for second-
ary education, in regard to which, if well staffed
and admiiiistered, they will certainly soon be ahead
of England unless we bestir ourselves.
NEWSPAPBBS
To read the better class of newspapers, which
employ a range of four or five thousand characters
as compared with the twenty-six letters of the
English alphabet, is a great achievement ; but in a
newspaper printing establishment the multitudinous
and enormous cases of type necessary to hold the
thousands of characters required for the columns of
a Japanese 'daily' would strike terror into the
hearts of the Western newspaper men. The com-
positors themselves sit at their cases, each containing
the forty-seven Kana before him, but every one of
them has half-a<lozen agile bojrs to assist in the
hunting among the numerous divisions of the
mountain of type containing the Japanese ideo-
graphs. In and out among the cases, piled like
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364 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT CRISIS
book stacks in a great library, these boys, who must
needs be something of scholars theniselves, jostle
against one another in their eagerness, all the time
keeping up their weird chant to refresh their
memories. Not one of the objects of their search
escapes them, and in a few minutes the compositor
has the required types before him, selected from the
four to five thousand characters employed.
TAXATION OP LAND
It was interesting to me to find t^t the taxation
of land is perhaps the most burning political ques-
tion in Japan. Contrary to what one would expect,
the Progressionists oppose any increase in the land
tax. I ought to explain that this land tax, which
was formerly paid to the old feudal nobles, now
goes to the Emperor. The amount of the tax is
about 8^ per C0nt. on old assessments made about
a quarter of a century ago, and much below its
present value. Some politicians gain popularity by
opposing an increase in the land tax in the rural
districts, and others by opposing any increase in the
land tax and other direct taxation in the urban
districts. The question of the incidence of taxation
is a matter demanding the attention of politicians
of all schools in Japan as urgently as it does in
England, for there is much need of reform in both
countries in order to secure the application of the
only equitable principle on which taxation can pro-
ceed — viz. that every man shall be taxed according
to his ability to pay.
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OOMMEBOIAL ETHI08 366
GBADUATBD TAXATION
The principle of graduated taxation is applied in
Japan to a greater extent than in England. As
regards the income tax, no one is liable to pay unless
he has an income of 300 yen, when 1 per cent, is
demanded, and this rises by a graduated scale up to
16 per cent., according to the amount of his income.
OOMMBBOIAL DISHONESTY
I regret to say that on all hands I have had the
statement that Japanese traders are not specially
distinguished for honesty, particularly in their busi-
ness relations with foreigners. We have in this a
most striking proof that the character of people is
largely formed by the nature of their surroundings.
For hundreds of years the trading class in Japan
has occupied a very low place in the social scale. In
the last thirty years, since the feudal system has been
abolished, the position of traders has greatly changed,
and now some of those who were nobles are engaged
in trade, and I am told there is reason to hope that
shortly business affairs in Japan will be conducted on
more honest lines.
FOBOBLAIN AND CLOISONN^
Two of the most interesting industries in Japan
are the production of porcelain and cloisonne. I
went over some of the works, and the skill of the
artists in painting and manipulating the goods
throughout the various processes is remarkable. I
observed that many of the workers had skin erup-
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266 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CRISIS
tions. This was more noticeable owing to the
scanty clothing which they wear in this hot climate.
I conclude that the Japanese still require to adopt
laws securing the greatest possible protection for
workmen who follow dangerous trades, as what I
saw seemed to point to lead poisoning.
JAPANBSE GOAL
Japanese coal has recently fallen considerably,
the previous high price having led to over-production.
During the Chino-Japanese war Welsh coal was
bought for the Japanese navy to some considerable
extent, and this would be the case in the event of
another war, owing to its smokeless character. The
Bussian, German, and English fleets out here all use
Welsh coal, and I think they might with advantage
mix a portion of best Yorkshire hard steam with it.
TOKYO AB8BNAL
By permission of the military authorities, I was
taken over the arsenal at Tokyo, where the rifles
and cartridges needed for the Japanese army are
manufactured by over six thousand workmen. The
workshops and machinery are excellent. Most of
the machinery has been supplied from England, and
next to England comes America. I was surprised
to find, however, that the steel bars out of which
the barrel of the rifle is formed are always supplied
by France. Major Murata, son of the inventor of
the Murata rifle, which the Japanese used in the
Chino-Japanese war, showed me round, and per-
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TOMBS OP THE SH0GUN8 267
sonally explained both the working of the Morata
rifle and also of a new rifle which they adopted two
years ago. It is a magazine rifle, wi^ very simple
mechanism, and is loaded with five cartridges at a
time. So far as one could judge, the Japanese
workmen are very handy, but I am told they turn
out much less work per man than English workmen.
MOUKTAIN BBSOBTS
After spending several days in the moist hot
atmosphere of Tokyo in the really hard work of
collecting information, I went to the mountains to
recruit in fresher air, and to enjoy the beauties of
Nature, in which the districts of Nikko, Ghuzenji,
and Yumoto abound. Nikko is 2,000 feet above the
sea-level, and there I inspected some of the finest
temples in Japan. They are the tombs of the first
and third Shoguns of the Tokugawa family, called
in the treaty with England the Tycoon. The carved
wood is covered with lacquer in rich harmonious
colours, and the whole effect is very beautiful.
These temples are embosomed in magnificent woods
rising high above them, and containing some of the
finest timber in Japan. Stretching twenty miles
away from Nikko is a wonderful avenue of
cryptomeria trees, a kind of cedar, which lines the
old highway leading to that place.
From Nikko I went on to Chuzenji, where
there is a fine lake surrounded by high hills clothed
to their very summit with luxuriant vegetation. A
further expedition brought me to Yumoto^ where
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96S CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
scores of hot sulphur springs, of a temperature
high enough to boil ^gs, bubbled forth from the
ground. Close by Yumoto is a gem of a lake sur-
rounded by splendid pine forests. Yumoto is 4,700
feet above the sea, and the stream descending from
this to the lake of Chuzenji is precipitated over
huge, ahnost perpendicular slopes of rock, in large
and beautiful waterfalls.
FIiOWEBS AND FBUIT
As every one knows, Japan at certain seasons of
the year is rendered still more attractive by a profu-
sion of flowers. It is especially noted for its magni-
ficent show of cherry and plum blossom, and there
is also the gorgeous wistaria, the lotus, the azalea ten
to twenty-five feet high, and the iris. It is the
natural home of the chrysanthemum, which blooms
everywhere. The huge, beautiful, and strongly
perfumed tiger lily grows wild, and the root of this
plant is used as a vegetable.
As regards fruit, which is of poor quality, pears,
peaches, plums, persimmons, oranges, apples, and
several kinds of melons are chiefly grown.
Among the fowls are cocks whose tails are from
four to six yards long. There are crabs fourteen inches
across the body, and as much as six feet from the
extremity of one claw to the other.
JAPANESE TOWN AT NIGHT
One of the things a traveller should not fail to do
in Japan is to stroll in the streets of a large town at
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JAPANESE HOLIDATS 969
night. I went out in Kyoto, and though they have
neither gas nor electric light, the main hosiness
streets, which were thronged with the pictoresqnely
dressed Japanese, were ablaze with light.
There were many excellent lamps ; also a multi-
tude of Japanese lanterns, which produced a very
pretty efiTect. There are no shop windows in the
English sense; the stores open right on to the street,
and weie well patronised. In the refreshment-
houses I noticed ices being made by the somewhat
novel method of scraping a large piece of ice over
what was exactly like a carpenter's plane, the pro-
jecting blade cutting a thin layer off each time the
ice was passed over it. To the ice thus shred was
added a little sugar, as the customers were served.
Wooden erections resembling tables are built on
supports fixed in the river ^ which runs through the
heart of Kyoto. On these crowds of people recline
and are served with refreshments. The whole
river on both sides thus fitted out for some distance
and illuminated with hundreds of lanterns and
lights, made a brilliant scene. All seemed to be
enjoying themselves. The Japanese, I understand,
are more given to holiday-making than most other
races.
JAPAKBSB HABITS
A Japanese, on entering a house, removes his
shoes instead of his hat, and if he takes up a book
to read, he opens it at the back and reads from right
to left instead of from left to right.
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270 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
They are a merry people, and do not take life too
seriously. In the middle of the afternoon in Tokyo
I saw the native theatres, the zoological gardens, the
parks, and the museums crowded with people. The
artificial water in their parks is full of huge goldfish,
and when one bought prepared food and threw it
into the water the fish simply swarmed for it, and
fought one over the other in an almost solid mass in
order to secure a share of it, a laughing crowd of
Japanese invariably looking on. They are without
exception, no matter what their station in life may
be, the most polite people I have ever met.
I had the novel experience of being ten days in
the country without paying a single bill. The hotel-
keeper would not take English money, and after
entertaining me at one hotel recommended me to
another, asking me to pay them when I had an oppor-
tunity of forwarding Japanese money. One inn-
keeper went so far as to lend me the wherewithal
for my railway fares.
In engaging a carriage there are invariably two
men on the box, one of whom drives, while the
other is constantly jumping on and off, running
in front of the carriage before a comer is turned
to clear the track, and uttering cries with the
same object. The men are dressed in blue flowing
robes, with a band round their waists. They have
large flat round black hats of mushroom shape,
and wear white gloves. The footman always
opens the carriage door when you get in or out,
hat in hand coid' bowing low.
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JAPANESB DBESS 271
JAPANBSB WOMBN
I am told that by far the larger part of the works
of the best age of Japanese literature are of feminine
authorship. Women occupy a position of greater
social equality with men than is the case in any
other Oriental country.
The women wear what may be described
as a broad sash, which they call an 'obi.' This
gives a certain amount of support around their body,
and forms a richly bedecked appendage on their
backs. Babies are slung on the backs of those who
carry them, and appear quite comfortable in that
position.
Boots are practically unknown except among a
few Europeanised Japanese. The women usually
wear sandals made of straw, or shuffle along in
what we should describe in England as wooden clogs.
These are attached to their feet by a strap which is
passed round the big toe. In order to receive this
strap their stockings are made in the form of a mitten.
In wet weather two pieces of wood are fixed
under the piece upon which the foot rests almost in
the form of short stilts ; on these they toddle along
with a somewhat uncertain gait. Unlike English
ladies, it is the absorbing desire of young women in
Japan to grow old, that they may share the reverence
given to age.
JAPANBSE FUNERALS
Should you meet in the street what seems to be a
specially festive procession, you may know that a
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272 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
funeral is in progiess. White is the indication of
monmingy and certainly it is less heathenish than
black. In the case of the poorer classes the
cofiSn, instead of being laid horizontally on the bier,
is placed upright, and is buried in that position. It
is nearly square in shape, the body being doubled up
when placed in it, with the knees on the chest. But
in the funerals of the upper classes the body is
always placed horizontally in the cofiSn.
BBLIGION
The two prevailing forms of religion in Japan
are known as Shinto and Buddhism. The former
has been stated in short as nature worship and
reverence for the ancestors of the Emperor or conse-
crated persons, such as national heroes. The essen-
tial quality of Shinto is the spirit of filial piety, the
readiness to surrender life for a principle. It is the
whole emotional life of the race, the soul of Japan. It
has no system of dogmas, no creed, no infallible book,
no ideals, no moral code, no promise of heaven, no
threat of hell. Shinto is a religion devoid of dogma.
Buddhism came with a dogmatic system supplying
the need, rivalling the Boman Church in the or-
nateness of its temple service and in the splendour
of its decorative embellishments. It gave new
impetus and direction to the aesthetic life of the
nation. Many Japanese are believers in both forms
of religion.
I do not possess the requisite knowledge to
attempt a detailed statement of the doctrines and
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BBUGION IN JAPAN 273
principles of Buddhism. Once the State Chnich
of Japan, it was disestablished a few years ago,
but still remains a great power in the land. Some
people consider that the Japanese are almost
without any strong religious instincts. In 1684
the Boman Catholic converts were numbered by
hundreds of thousands, but in little more than three
decades they were exterminated, and every vestige
of the Western religion was swept from the land.
Its symbols were held up to public abhorrence, and
to prevent its re-entrance the ports of the Empire
were closely sealed for 250 years. I am told, however,
that this was not a religious war at all, and that the
converts were only put to death because they joined
in a rebellion, and not on account of their Chris-
tianity. In regard to religion, however, as to other
matters, I believe that many Japanese have an open
mind, and would readily give their adhesion to any
form of religious faith they were led to consider
superior to their own.
JUBISDIOTION OVBB FOBBIGNBBS
Until last year the various European nations
had their own courts of law in Japan, wherein
those of their nationality were tried, and they
were not under the jurisdiction of the Japanese;
but the marvellous progress made by Japan in the
last quarter of a century gave her a claim to
admission as one of the great nations of the world.
There were great rejoicings to celebrate the
coming into force of the new treaties which con-
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274 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT CBI8IS
feired on the Japanese jniisdiotion over foreigners :
banquets and entertainments took plaoe, and the
towns were gaily decorated.
There is a great difference of opinion on the
subject. The majority of the Europeans consider
that the abolition of their own courts, and the
placing of them entirely under Japanese law, is a
pretaature step, inasmuch as they do not believe
there is a sufficient number of trained Japanese
judges, magistrates, or lawyers to administer the law
properly. They have, I understand, adopted an
excellent code of laws, drawn mainly from those of
France and Germany. They were unable to adopt
English laws because they have not been codified.
The fault I find with the British treaty is that,
while placing British subjects absolutely under
Japanese law, it does not secure them many rights
and privileges which the Japanese freely enjoy in
England, but we may hope that eventually similar
rights will be conceded in Japan. I am certain that
the Japanese will try to administer the laws equi-
tably, but only time will show how far they are able
to avoid friction.
FOLinOAL
During my short stay in Japan I was very
fortunate in meeting politicians and commercial
men able to give me reliable and valuable informa-
tion with regard to political and commercial matters
not only in Japan, but also in Korea and China. I
have obtained much new light on the political events
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MABQUIS ITO 276
which prece ded the Chino- Japanese war, and on
what happened during the progress of that war and
subsequently.
Through the kindness of the British Minister,
Sir Ernest Satow, and other friends, I had interviews
with the Marquis Ito, Count Okuma, and Viscount
Aoki, who have played a most important part in
the recent political history of Japan.
MABQUIS ITO
To Marquis Ito is mainly due the credit of the
written constitution which Japan has recently
adopted, after conmiissions had been sent out to
make close inquiry in regard to the constitutions
under which European nations are governed. Thirty
years ago Japan was in a state of feudalism under
nobles, known as 'Daimios.' A revolution took
place ; the ' Daimios ' were made to surrender their
feudal rights, and the whole population now owns
allegiance to the Emperor alone.
About ten years ago a very important develop-
ment took place when, under a somewhat restricted
franchise, representative government was initiated by
the election of a House of Commons. There is also
a House of Peers, composed of hereditary peers, life
peers, and selected peers.
From both Houses all direct representatives of
religion are expressly excluded, and there is, therefore
no question of the removal of bishops and arch-
bishops from the House of Ijords confronting Japan.
There is no party government as in England, and
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276 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CEISIS
no Conservative party as we understand it. Some
call themselves ' Liberals/ others * Progressionists/
but there are few vital differences in the matter of
political principles separating them. Party govern-
ment will, no doubt, gradually arise; but mean-
time the electors vote for the men who command
their confidence, and not merely in a party sense.
This, after all, is the natmral result of their feudal
system, when loyalty to the chief of their dan was
the influence which dominated them.
Marquis Ito had a most difficult task imposed
upon him — to conclude the treaty of peace at the
close of the Chino-Japanese war. Under strong
pressure on the part of Bussia, France, and Germany,
Japan was largely deprived of the fruits of victory.
The surrender of the Liao-tung Peninsula was so
bitterly resented in Japan that Marquis Ito was
driven from power; but the course he pursued
was the only one open to him. At the present
time he is by far the most powerful politician in
Japan, and various political parties are striving to
induce him to become their leader.
Marquis Ito possesses ability, shrewdness, and
force of character, which make him unquestion-
ably the most powerful statesman in Japan to-day.
He is short in stature even for a Japanese.
In our interview he spoke of his fall from
political power as the result of hiB surrender of the
Liao-tung Peninsula under the Treaty of Shimono-
seki ; this, of course, was due to the joint intervention
of Bussia, France, and Germany, and no fault of his.
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A POrjnOAL STATEMENT 277
Marquis Ito said the Chinese indemnity was first
fixed at 200,000,000 taels, or 82,000,000;., and then
he got 80,000,000 taels more in consideration of
giving up the Liao-tmig Peninsula.
Had England only supported Japan, and insisted,
as she was asked to do, that as a condition of Japan's
evacuation an agreement should be concluded under
which all the Powers would bind themselves not
to occupy the Liao-tung Peninsula or Port Arthur,
the subsequent course of events in the Far East
might have been very different indeed.
Marquis Ito assured me that Japan would
welcome the co-operation of England and America
for the upholding of their mutual interests in China,
but that a pious expression of good will was of
no ase; there must be a definite understanding. He
remarked that, in addition to having the strongest
fleet in the Far East, Japan could put from 200,000
to 300,000 men in the field, and must therefore be a
valuable ally.
With regard to currency. Marquis Ito stated that
he was at one time rather inclined to bi-metallism,
but that, after spending six months in the study of
currency at the Treasury at Washington, he now
supports a gold standard.
The Marquis is the most trusted adviser of the
Emperor of Japan. He informed me that the
Emperor is forty-seven years old, and takes great
interest in the afiiEurs of the State.
The present Emperor has renounced Buddhism
and is now Shinto. Marquis Ito prefers Protes-
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378 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT CBISIS
tantism to Boman Catholicism, but he does not ^^^
religion and politics. He said that the constitution
he framed gives complete religious liberty, and that
his faith is a matter for the individual.
He referred to his visit of four months in 1898
to China. He reached Peking at the time of the
fall of the Beform party. He went up the Yang-
tsze, but was recalled from Hankow by the Japanese
Emperor to form a Cabinet, and so was unable to
arrive at such an understanding with China as might
have powerfully influenced the course of events in
that empire.
COUNT OKUMA
Count Okuma is the leader of the Progressionist
party, and a man of strong convictions, who enjoys
the confidence of a very large section of his country-
men. He is a fascinating man, with brilliant
conversational powers, and from the keen interest he
takes in a great variety of subjects reminded me of
our Grand Old Man. He might be fairly described
as the Gladstone of Japan. He had his leg shattered
by a bomb in 1889.
Our interview took place at his house, a short
distance out of Tokyo, where he has a lovely Japanese
garden. Captain Brinkley accompanied me, and
very kindly acted as interpreter. Count Okuma
cannot speak a word of English, and, though so well
informed in regard to the political afbirs of all
nations, has never been out of Japan. He referred
in the most friendly terms to England, and would be
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CX)UNT OKUMA 279
quite willing also to act in concert with the United
States of America. In his opinion, the interests of
England, America, and Japan are identical in the
Far East, and to co-operate actively must be
mutually beneficial. He thought a great opportunity
was lost when England and Japan neglected to unite
in regard to Port Arthur, and that the present
situation is largely the result of that blunder. Count
Okuma expressed the opinion that the advance
southwards of Bussia in China can only be checked
by the reorganisation of the Chinese army under
British and Japanese officers. He said about sixty
Chinese were then studying mihtary science in Japan.
He considered the financial position of Japan good.
Thirty years ago the Government started with hardly
any revenue. They had compensated nobles for
destruction of feudal rights, and undertaken great
public works, such as railways, posts, telegraphs,
schools, public offices, and gaols, and yet, though the
yen was worth only 2«. now as compared with 4«.
then, the gold debt was no larger than twenty years
ago.
He thought England should have begun the
construction of a railway from British Burmah to
the Upper Yangtsze years ago, and that it should be
extended to Shanghai. He believed that the
Japanese would resist to a man the taking of Korea
by Bussia, as the nation had been associated with
Korea for centuries, and it was imperative that it
should be preserved as an outlet for the surplus
population of Japan.
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280 CHINA AND THB PBESBNT OBISIS
VISCOUNT AOKI
With Yisconnt* Aoki, who is at present the
Minister of Foreign Afhirs, I had two interviews
of a most interesting and instructive character.
He married a Gterman lady, and is strongly pro-
German. He would like to see the Protestant
religion of Germany and England spread in Japan,
but hopes that neither the Boman Catholic nor the
Greek Church will take root there.
Viscount Aoki said that Japan, with a popula-
tion increasing at the rate of nearly half a million a
year, and possessing only a very limited area of
cultivable land, must have a suitable colony which
should be exclusively Japanese, as they do not
intermix readily with other races.
Formosa, which was ceded to Japan at the
close of the Chino-Japanese war, had entailed a
heavy financial loss on Japan hitherto, but is
expected to leave a surplus next year. It is,
however, unsuitable in point of climate for Japanese
settlers, and the same applies to the Chinese
province of Fukien, opposite Formosa, over which
the Japanese have asserted priority of right.
Korea, by its proximity to Japan, its suitability
in point of climate, fertility of soil, fisheries, and
mineral resources, is just what they need for expan-
sion, and on no account can the Japanese allow
Russia to dominate or acquire Korea. On strategical
grounds Japan must resist any occupation of Korea
by Bussia ; there is also the sentimental interest of
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VISCOUNT AOKI 281
the Japanese in Korea, arising out of the history of
their repeated fighting there for centuries past. They
conquered Korea three hundred years ago, and after-
wards withdrew when they ought to have kept it.
Viscount Aoki expressed the same views as
Marquis Ito and Count Okuma as to the importance
of concerted action on the part of England, America,
and Japan in support of their mutual interests in
China.
He was good enough to give me letters of
introduction to the Japanese representative in Korea,
and also to their ambassador in Peking.
I met other Japanese politicians, including the
Director of the Financial Department, who gave me
the fullest information as to the financial position of
Japan.
A JAPANESB DINNER
One Japanese member of Parliament, Mr.
Kotaro Hiraoka, gave a dinner in my honour, at
which several other members were present. This
was served in Japanese fashion ; there were no
chairs or tables, or knives and forks. A number of
small dishes of various kinds of food were placed in
front of each guest on the spotless matting ivhich
covered the floor of the room, on which we squatted
and endeavoured to convey the food from the dishes
to our mouths by means of chopsticks. The draw-
back to me was that we had neither bread nor vege-
tables until the rice was brought on at the end of
the meal.
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282 CHINA AND THE PBESBNT OBISIS
Many of the dishes which were supplied to us
were unknown to me, bnt amongst them were cold
quailSi also several kinds of fish, including trout and
eelsi prepared in different wajrs. Geisha girls waited
upon us hand and foot, and diligently fanned us.
The liquid portion of the repast was tea and the
native liquor ' sake.'
The Geisha girls afterwards played and sang and
performed their curious dances. It was altogether a
novel and interesting evening. Next day Mr.
Hiraoka brought a carriage and drove me round to
see the sights of the great city of Tokyo, with its
nearly two millions of inhabitants. Before I left
he gave me, as a farewell present, a Japanese paint-
ing over two hundred years old, accompanied by a
certificate in proof that it was genuine.
With regard to European diplomatists in Japan,
I had conversations with Sir Ernest Satow and
Count von Lyden, the German Ambassador, also
with Colonel Buck, the representative of the United
States of America, and several men holding high posi-
tions in China, who are at present invalided to Japan.
From the information received from these and
also from the Japanese I have come to the conclu-
sion that it will be mainly the fault of England
if there is not in the future greater co-operation
between England, Japan, and the United States
of America in respect to their mutual interests in
the Far East.
I left for Korea by the s.s. ' EUgo-Maru,' which
called at Shimonoseki and Nagasaki, in Japan.
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BEAUTIFUL SCBNEBT 283
KOBB TO NAGASAKI
The boat on which I left Kobe belonged to a
Japanese company, and was also officered and
manned by Japanese, but I cannot say that they
compare favourably with British sailors. The ship
was not kept in that condition of cleanliness
that characterises British ships, and did not make a
pleasant home daring the ten days which I spent on
board. However, in travelling it is necessary to take
the rough with the smooth and make the best of it.
THB INLAin3 SEA OF JAPAN
We steamed down the celebrated Inland Sea of
Japan from Kobe to Shimonoseki. Writer after
writer has stated that he cotdd not find words to
describe adequately the beautiful scenery of the
Inland Sea. There are high hills clothed with
luxuriant vegetation to their very tops, picturesque
islands splendidly cultivated in terraces right down
to the edge of the water, and mountains stretching
away in the far distance.
We had one good sunset, with light and shade and
variety of colouring, forming an exquisite picture.
Mr. Hiraoka joined the boat at Kobe on his
way to Hakata, his place of residence. To my
surprise he brought me six bottles of the finest
* sake ' made in Japan, also a silk ' kimono ' and a
beautiful sash. The receipt of these, and of a
welcome box of cigars, given by another friend to
replenish my exhausted stock, made me feel that I
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284 CHINA AND THB PBBSBNT GBISIS
could hardly regard myself as ' a stranger in a strange
land.'
THB BATTLB OF THB BOTTLBS
The Inland Sea of Japan is generally smooth,
but on this occasion, durmg the last heit of the trip,
we were unfortunate enough to be caught in the
edge of a typhoon. We were well pitched about,
and one fr^ of the steamer I may describe as
the 'battle of the bottles/ The Japanese do not
pack bottles in a case, as we do, but tie them
together with a band I The ' sake ' which I had
received was handed to me in this form, and
deposited on the floor of my cabin. During the
storm, however, bottle after bottle broke loose, and
a battle between the bottles on the floor of the
cabin finally took place, at a moment when my
condition was such that I would not have moved a
finger to save a hundred bottles. My teetotal
friends will, therefore, be able to rejoice that, at
any rate, the storm saved me from the danger of
becoming addicted to this particular kind of liquor.
The longest night passes at last, and this, indeed,
appeared a long one. After a storm comes a cahn,
and the next morning we were peacefully gliding
over a perfectly cahn sea through the Straits of
Shimonoseki. Shimonoseki is the place where Li-
Hung-Chang and Marquis Ito, the. representatives
of China and Japan, met and arranged the treaty
which concluded the Chino- Japanese war in 1894-5.
The Straits of Shimonoseki are at some points
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A TYPHOON 286
little more than half a mile wide, and as it is the
only deep-water inlet at the western end of the
Inland Sea of Japan, very strong forts line the hills
on either side. The Japanese consider that it would
be absolutely impossible for an enemy to force the
passage.
BT BAILWAT TO NAGASAKI
From Shimonoseki to Nagasaki the steamer
route is more exposed, passing round the western
coast of the Island of Eiushiu. At Shimonoseki I
learnt that the effect of the typhoon was being
felt severely outside. I decided to cross to Naga-
saki by railway both to escape the storm and to
enable me to see something of the interior of
the Island of Kiushiu. A further inducement to do
this was the knowledge that my friend, Mr. Hiroaka,
would travel for three hours by the same train. He
took me off the steamer on his own steam-launch,
and brought a huge block of ice with which to cool
our supply of Hirano water ; he also telegraphed to
a station two hours ahead ordering a supply of
freshly cooked rice. He was evidently an influential
man in these parts, for at Moji, the port just opposite
Shimonoseki, where ^e took the train, there was a
crowd of residents to see him off, and also at
Hakata to welcome him home after an absence of
three months. Most particular instructions were
given to the conductor of the train to take care to
land me safely at Nagasaki and to look after me on
the journey. This was more necessary than might
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386 CHINA AND THE PEESBNT CEISIS
appear, as it was a cross-country route, not a single
soul could speak a word of English, and I was
unable to speak a word of Japanese. The railway
route lay through a beautifully wooded country,
with wide fertile plains covered with rice-fields and
high hills in the distance. The rice is so irrigated
that it is literally growing in water, and hundreds of
people were wading up to their knees transplanting
rice. They wore huge mushroom-shaped hats,
almost like umbrellas, to shelter them from the sun.
The railway track was lined with palisades which
had been burnt to prevent decay. We passed large
steelworks which the Imperial Government of
Japan are erecting with the object of producing pig
iron and steel plates for themselves. They are
situated near a coal-field, but having regard to the
very inferior quality of most of the coal and the
scanty supply of iron ore to be met with in Japan,
there seems every chance that they will be able to
import from England more cheaply than they can
produce it themselves.
The shipment of coal is carried on at Moji and
several other ports along the coast. I was told that
the rate of railway carriage for conveying coal thirty
miles down to the port of shipment is only Is. id.
per ton.
The Japanese are great tea-drinkers; they use
green tea, which they consider more stimulating.
An earthenware teapot containing freshly made tea
can be had at most of the stations for three sens — say,
three farthings.
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JAPANESE COAL 287
NAGASAKI
I arriyed at Nagasaki shortly after midnight in a
tremendous downpour of tropical rain and the blast
of the typhoon. It was all that the 'jinricksha'
man could do to battle with the storm, and get me
from the station to the hotel in three-quarters of
an hour instead of twenty minutes. The harbour
of Nagasaki, one of the prettiest in the East, is a
narrow inlet about three miles in length, indented
by numerous bays and surrounded by wooded hills.
It is thoroughly sheltered, and affords anchorage
for ships of all classes. Nagasaki is noted for a
delicious kind of jelly made from seaweed. The
fish market shows perhaps the greatest variety of
fish in the world, some two or three hundred different
kinds being sold there.
WOBKS AND MINES
Here as elsewhere the English residents showed
me every kindness and hospitality. Mr. Einger, of
Messrs. Holme, Binger, & Co., sent me in his steam-
launch to visit the large shipbuilding yard, the
Marine Engine Building Works, the Boiler Works
and Foundry of the Mitsubishi Company, which lie
across the bay from Nagasaki. The same company
also own the Takashima Coal-mines. The shafts
are sunk on two islands close to Nagasaki, and the
coal is worked from under the sea. It is far and away
the best quality of coal in Japan, and is used by the
' Empress ' boats. The price is about nine dollars
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288 CHINA AND THE FBBSBNT OBISIS
per ton, bat the output is becoming limited. I was
received with great courtesy at the works and shown
everything. They have a well-ventilated foundry,
where they make iron castings — not steel — also
excellent fitting-shopSi pattem-shopsi boiler-shops,
forging and blacksmiths' shops. I was glad to find
that they use ^Bedcar'pig ironfromtheMiddlesbrough
district very largely, and also Scotch iron. They
have tried pig iron from China, but find the quality
very inferior. They are driving machines with
electric motors, and practically the whole of the
machinery employed has been supplied from Great
Britain. They buy all the steel castings, the steel
and iron plates, girders, and Siemens steel for boilers
from England and Scotland. H.M. cruiser ' Bona-
venture,' which ran on a rock off the Korean coast
recently and knocked a hole in her bottom, had
just come out of the graving dock after repairs.
Opposite their shipbuilding yard was a 6,000 tons
steamer which they had recently launched. They
admitted that the cost of building this vessel had
proved to be much more than they could have
bought her for in England, but they are hoping to
do better in future.
JAPANESB WOBKMEN
I had a long talk with Mr. Crow, a Scotchman,
who is the manager of the shipbuilding yard, and
from him I learnt that it takes four Japanese to
do as much work as one Britisher. Though
their wages vary from only Is. to 2«. per day
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SHTP-BUILDING 289
of nine hours, it is probable the wages cost of
building a ship is as great as in England. I
found that the company was induced to lay down
these works only on the Japanese Government's
undertaking to grant them an annual subsidy out
of the national exchequer. The fact of its being
necessary to offer a subsidy of this description to
bolster up the business shows that, at any rate
at present, they are well aware they have no
chance of competing with us on fair and equal
terms. It shows a wonderful spirit of courage
and enterprise on their part to make such an
attempt to produce what they require for them-
selves. Possibly when their workmen acquire
greater skill and experience they will attain results
which will bring them into the category of serious
competitors with us, at any rate in their own
market. It therefore behoves us to keep our works
at home thoroughly up to date in every respect.
The number of men employed at present by the
Mitsubishi Company at their works in Nagasaki is
about 3,000.
BRITISH OOMMBROIAL INTERESTS
British commercial men out in Japan think
that their interests have not been by any means so
fully safeguarded as they might have been in con-
nection with the new treaty which has recently been
concluded. For example, a new duty of 2$. per
ton has been placed upon English coal without any
determined effort on the part of the British
U
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290 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
Bepresentative to prevent it. Notwithstanding
this, and also the fact that freight varies from
about Mb. to QOs. a ton, large quantities of Welsh
coal are at the present time on their way to Naga-
saki.
ISLAND OF TSUSHIMA
The S.S. * Higo-Maru/ whioh I left at Shimono-
seki, should have arrived at Nagasaki at eight
o'clock the following morning, but owing to the
stormy weather she did not come in until 6 p.k.
We left Nagasaki early in the morning, and I am now
on my way to Fusan, the first port of call in Korea.
We touched on the way at the Island of Tsushima,
which belongs to Japan. The bay in which we
anchored is surrounded by high hills clothed with
timber from bottom to top. On the way to
Tsushima the boat had rolled very much, and we
were all glad to go ashore and feel that we were
once more on terra firma. The islanders showed
much more interest in us as foreigners than was shown
at any place in Japan proper. Acrowd of from twenty
to thirty men, women, and children followed us for
miles, and everybody in the streets seemed highly
amused with what I presume they considered our
grotesque appearance. We had a lovely walk
into the country on a fairly good road, alongside
which a clear rushing stream flowed. The banks on
either side were clothed with magnificent groves of
bamboos.
I left Tsushima after a stay of only a few hours,
and so ended my all too short visit to Japan.
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MISSIONABIES 291
EOBBA
We sighted the coast of Korea early on Tuesday
morning, August 15| and soon anchored in the
lovely bay of Fusan, which is encircled by high
bare green rock-strewn hills, which were capped
with mist and reminded me of many hills both
in England and Scotland. The town of Fusan is
divided into two quarters, Japanese and Korean.
Behind the Japanese quarter rises a large wood of
pine trees, which adds greatly to the picturesqueness
of the bay. On landing I found the Customs in
charge of a Frenchman and a German harbour-
master. An Italian official at the Customs, with
the most friendly feelings towards everything
English, became my guide, and assisted me in
despatching telegrams, which is not an altogether
easy process at a Korean telegraph office.
FmST VISIT TO A MISSIONABY STATION IN THE
FAB EAST
I went with a lady missionary to visit the
missionary station at Fusan. We had half an
hour's walk to reach it, uphill, in a warm atmo-
sphere. We found the missionary nursing a baby,
his wife being ill. He was much exercised in bis
mind about his domestic affairs, having been robbed
of money on two preceding days by his Korean
servants.
We saw two other lady missionaries there.
When I suggested that as our time was limited, and
u 2
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292 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
as I was very anxious to get reliable information
from those who view mattcors from different stand-
points, the missionary might perhaps stroll back
with us to the landing-place and give me farther
information, he said he was sorry, but the situation
of his domestic afiiairs prevented. For the life of
me I could not understand why one of the two lady
missionaries should not have taken the baby, and
the other been placed for half an hour on watch and
guard against robbers.
DAKGBBOUS COASTS
Our steamer route, especially between Fusan
and Mokpo, was a very dangerous one. There
were scores of islands, and many sharp jagged
rocks studded the surface of the sea, with possibly
many more similar rocks jutting up nearly to the
surface of the water, but still unseen. Fortunately,
the weather was extremely fine and there was no
fog, otherwise I should not have felt particularly
safe. I certainly should not care to voyage along
the coast of Korea in the winter time. This is
where H.M. cruiser ' Bonaventure ' recently struck
on a rock. However, 'all's well that ends well,'
and nothing in the shape of an accident befell us.
THE KOREAN PENINSULA
The Korean Peninsula stands in the un-
fortunate geographical position of being midway
between China and Japan, and has been, like
Issachar, the strong ass crouching between two
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EMPEBOB 07 EOBEA 293
btirdens. Both countries have for generations
sought to claim the allegiance of Eorea. They
have both many times invaded it, and from time to
time the influence of first one and then the other
has been predominant. The King of Korea adopted
the title of * Emperor ' after the close of the Chino-
Japanese war, which nominally secured its indepen-
dence. It covers an area estimated at from 85,000
to 100|000 square miles. As in the case of Manchuriai
we are told again and again that Korea is a barren
and worthless country, but from the most reliable
authorities I am in a position to state that the
climate is good and the soil fertile, capable of
growing the finest timber and every fruit grown in
England, with the addition of many of a tropical
character.
It is estimated that not more than one-half of
the cultivable land is being farmed.
FISHEBIES
The fisheries of Korea are most valuable ; un-
fortunately the natives do not reap for themselves
the whole advantage of these, as they have foolishly
allowed the Japanese fishing rights within the three
miles limit. With regard also to whaling, Bussia
has succeeded in obtaiuing a concession of land at
three Korean ports for the purpose of salting the
whales ; the greater number of these are not oil-
producing, but after being salted are taken to Japan
and sold for food there.
A whale of average size is stated to be worth
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294 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
about 2,000 dollars. The importance of this con-
cession to Bnssia will be seen when I state that one
whaling-ship caught fifteen whales in fourteen days
last season. Bussia ostensibly holds these pieces of
land on a twelve years' lease, and it is stipulated that
they are still to remain under Korean jurisdiction.
Only time will disclose whether this move on her
part does not mean that she will gradually take pos-
session of the three ports and use them as bases for
extending her influence in Korea.
EOBEAN GOLD-FIELDS
I met on board the steamer a Mr. Hunt, an
American, who has got a concessionfrom the Emperor
of Korea for the working of gold over an area of 1,000
square miles. He has already more than 1,300 men
at work, and is quite confident of the success of his
undertaking.
The Germans have also secured a concession
of 270 square miles, which they are prospecting.
England appears likely to be almost left out in the
cold, as the only concession obtained by the British
is that secured by Mr. Pritchard Morgan. In addition
to gold, experts say that coal, iron, lead, and silver
may be found in Korea.
BAILWAYS
The Koreans realise the importance of having
the country opened up by railways, but they have no
money with which to construct them. They have
been induced to give the Japanese the right to build
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CONCESSIONS IN KOBEA 296
a railway from Chemulpo to Seool^ which is now
tmder constraction ; also from Seoul to Fusan — 360
miles — but, owing to the present financial condition
of Japan, the necessary capital is not forthcoming to
enable the latter to be proceeded with. The Germans
are trying to get a concession for a railway from
Seoul to Gtensan, which the Japanese are opposing.
France also had a concession from Seoul to Wigu,
which has lapsed owing to their not haying begun
the construction of the line within the specified
time. France has, however, in connection with the
cancelled contract, obtained a written assurance from
the Korean Government that whenever the railway
is built French engineers will be employed^ and that
the whole of the railway material and rolling stock
shall be manufactured in France, no matter what
may be the nationality of the country constructing
the railway.
Similar stipulations are inserted in the railway
concessioDS obtained in China by Bussia, France, and
Germany. If this sort of thing is to go on un-
checked, I wish to know where, in the future, the
markets for the products of British labour will be
found. Seeing that England depends largely on
her exports for prosperity, I ask whether, owing
to the supineness of British capitalists or of the
British Government, British producers are to have
no share in supplying Korea with a sjrstem of rail-
ways necessary to open up and develop the country.
There is no completed railway whatever in existence.
I inspected the one which is in course of construc-
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296 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
tion from Chemulpo to Seoul ; this will be, when
opened, the first railway that Korea has ever had.
THB BMFBBOB AND THB GOVBBNMBKT
Mr. Jordan spoke of the Emperor as taking a
keen personal interest in everything that affects
Korea. He is an amiable man, possessed of some
ability, but his hands are greatly weakened in dealing
with Korean affairs by the rascaUty and rapacity of
the nobles and the official classes.
He is said to be a spendthrift, and though
taking one-tenth of the national revenue — ^viz.
600,000 dollars — for his own personal use, he is in a
very impecunious condition. It is believed that
those around him fleece him right and left.
The population of this by no means insignificant
empire numbers only from eight to ten millions.
Koreahas an historical antiquity contemporaneous
with that of Thebes and Babylon, but possesses no
ruins; and though boasting a separate, if not an
independent, existence for centuries, is devoid of
all external signs of strength. Foreigners have
been excluded until recently, though there is
little or no anti-foreign feeling. They have no
representative government whatever, no House of
Lords or House of Commons. There are eight
Ministers of State — viz. the Prime Minister, the
Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs, War, Educa-
tion and Law, Imperial Household, Agriculture and
Commerce, and Public Works. These are appointed
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KOEBAN POLinOS 297
by the Emperor and continue in office at his pleasure.
There is dso a (Tonncil of State of about fifteen
members, to whom matters of legislation are sup-
posed to be submitted for debate, but practically this
is, at the present time, more * honoured in the breach
than in the observance.'
I had the opportunity of meeting the men most
likely to understand the Korean political situation, and
they hold the dpinion that there is little chance of
its regeneration except by the intervention of some
foreign Power. At the present moment the Beac-
tionaries are in power, and the Progressive leaders
are in exile.
ATTITUDE OP EUSSIA AND JAPAN
There is little doubt that the eyes of Bussia, as
well as those of Japan, are turned towards Korea,
the former being desirous of rounding oflf her terri-
tory north of the Gulf of Pechili by its absorption ;
while, on the other hand, Japan, vnth a population
increasing at the rate of nearly half a million a year,
would find Korea, enjoying as it does a very similar
climate to its own, the most suitable opening for
expansion, which must come in some direction or
other. It is true that Bussia last year withdrew,
by arrangement with Japan, the financial adviser
and the military instructors she had at the Korean
Court, and the Busso-Chinese Bank was closed ; but
I am inclined to think this rather a pause on the
part of Bussia than an actual relinquishment of her
intention ultimately to absorb Korea.
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298 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT OBISIS
POBT HAMILTON
Port Hamilton, which is on a group of islands
on the southern coast of Korea, was occupied hy the
British fleet in 1886, and England only withdrew
on Bussia undertaking that she would not occupy
Korean territory under any circumstances whatso-
ever. Knowing as we do the facility with which
Bussia ignores assurances of this nature, I do not
attach much importance to this so-called guarantee
on her part.
TBADE
The countries which do the largest trade with
Korea are Japan and England. There are only one
or two English commercial firms established in the
country, and these mainly represent steamship lines.
Curiously, the English trade with Korea has been
almost exclusively carried on up to the present time
by Chinese. There are 6,000 in the country who
are under the protection of the British Govern-
ment. It is anticipated that the treaty between
China and Korea, placing the Chinese under the
jurisdiction of their own Gk)vemment, the same as
Europeans, will be speedily signed. The exports of
England to Korea are mainly Manchester cotton
goods, and we are holding our own well in the com-
petition for orders with the Japanese, notwithstand-
ing the supposed advantage that they have from
cheap labour.
The Koreans, like the Japanese, are commercially
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THE 'TANGHANS' 299
tmreliable and are naturally lazy. Probably to a
certain extent this is the resnlt of the conditions
under which they live, for I am told that the pro-
vincial officials, known as ' Yanghans/ extort taxes
at their own sweet will and pleasure, and in the
majority of cases for their own personal enrich-
ment.
BBYENTJB
The total revenue of the Korean Government
is about six million yen, and it is estimated that at
least three times the amount that is paid into the
Exchequer is extorted from the people by the local
officials. This condition of afiiairs deprives the
people of any incentive to industry, for if they work
hard and save a little money, in many cases it only
means that they have been accumulating it for the
benefit of the local official.
OUBBBNCY
The currency of Korea is in a very debased con-
dition. The Government have issued, wholesale,
nickel pieces at five sens each, which have cost less
than one sen, and at the present time 131 nickel
sens are only equivalent to one Japanese yen. To a
certain extent, however, Japanese paper and silver
are used.
MONEY-LENDING
The money-lending arrangements also greatly
hinder the prosperity of the Korean people. The
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300 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
lowest rate of interest paid for borrowed money is
12 per cent, per annnm, whilst 60 per cent, is a
nsoal rate, and 120 per cent, frequent. The law
does not allow any claim beyond double the loan,
therefore the lender at the end of ten months
threatens to enforce payment, and any failure to pay
means floggings, stocks, and imprisonment. The
borrower, as a rule, agrees that the interest and
principal shall be added together and constituted a
fresh loan, and if he goes on for twenty months
the amount owing by the luckless debtor is four
times the amount which he originally borrowed.
The local magistrates who administer the law have
full power, and so the money-lender needs to secure
their favour by a substantial gift, while the debtor
probably counterworks on the same lines. I do not
forget that we have in England a class of money-
lenders almost as rapacious as those of Korea, but
stringent legislation is proposed to deal with the
evil. Of course at home it prevails only to a
small extent, while in Korea it is universal.
BELIGION
The Eev. F. Jones, of Chemulpo, gave me the
following statement as to the religion of the
Koreans :
' Confucianism is the State religion of Korea. It
has neither priesthood nor supematuralism, but a
good moral code with cult of worship. They rely
entirely on self-effort, and do not look for divine
assistance.
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EDUCATION 801
' They have no temples in the ordinary sense, but
Tablet Houses, or Shrines, or Halls of Learning.
The UteraU offer sacrifice twice a year to Confucius,
the saints of Confucianism, and local celebrities.
The offerings consist of green fruit and liquor,
which are afterwards enjoyed by the celebrants.
* Buddhism also exists in a state of decay and
is not widespread. Fetishism is xmiversal. Local
spirits which frequent the earth, air, and water
(corresponding somewhat to the Feng^hui of
China), are propitiated by offerings of green fruit,
dogs, pigs, and liquors, which are always consumed
by the worshippers. These celebrations take place
in cases where sickness or misfortune falls upon a
household, and often at the end of a harvest.'
Possibly they are based to some extent upon the
same idea as our harvest homes.
EDUCATION
The Koreans are a very badly educated people.
They have no State schools, and a decision on the
part of the Government to build 330 Government
schools scattered over the country has not been
carried out to any extent. So far as there is any
education, it is at present being given privately.
Four good schools have been established by the
Korean Government, in which the teaching of
English, French, German, and Bussian is the
special feature.
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302 CHINA AND THE PEBSBNT 0BISI8
AHDCALS
The tiger is the king of animals in Korea, while
bears, leopards, wild boars, sables, ermine, otter,
hares, and foxes, also several kinds of deer, are
fonnd in various parts of the country. Pheasants,
every variety of wildfowl, including geese, swans,
ducks, teal, water-hen, plover, and snipe, also
bustards, cranes, and herons, pink and white ibis, and
eagles, are plentiful. Korea is therefore a promising
recreation-ground for the sportsman.
BAOB
The Koreans belong unmistakably to the Mon-
golian stock, being a sort of intermediate type
between the Mongolian Tartar and the Japanese.
Nearly the whole of the Koreans have jet-black hair
and dark eyes. As individuals, they possess many
attractive characteristics. The upper classes are
polite and friendly to foreigners, priding themselves
on their correct deportment, while the working people
are generally good-tempered, cheerful, and talkative,
though very excitable.
KOBEAK HABITS AND DBBSS
The chief vice of the Koreans is over-indulgence
in drink. They manufacture fermented liquor from
rice and barley ; there is little opium-smoking.
The favourite method of disposing of criminals
sentenced to death is to behead them, and in order to
impress the populace both the head and the body lie
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EOBBAN DBEBS 308
exposed for three days. In consideration, however, of
the objections raised by foreign residents, the authori-
ties have removed the place of execution some distance
outside the city walls.
The graveyards of the Koreans are different from
any others I have ever seen ; they are here, there,
and everywhere. Some rich men have one all to
themselves. Usually they are on the hillsides,
which are terraced, and the graves are marked by
mounds, resembling in the distance hay pikes of
freshly cut grass.
Unmarried women wear their hair parted in the
middle, and in a long plait down their backs.
The men have their hair drawn up in a top-knot.
Officials wear on their heads, first, a band com-
posed of a mixture of human and horse hair;
secondly, an official cap, made of horse-tail hair,
forming what looks like a sort of thin gauze;
thirdly comes the regular black dress hat, which is
exactly like the national hat worn by Welsh women.
They have besides triangular-shaped glazed paper
hats to put over their other hats when it rains.
They wear baggy white trousers, tied in at the
knees and ankles, with leggings, heavily padded
socks, and whit^ leather shoes, also a white flowing
robe like the kimono of Japan,- except that it has
sleeves and is tied under the right arm instead of by
a sash. They often wear a second outer robe of
white, witH the addition of a blue silk girdle.
The Emperor's robes are of scarlet — ^the royal
colour. Some officials also wear robes of this colour,
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304 CHINA AND THE PRESENT 0BISI8
and others bine or yellow; but the Minieters and
chief notables are usually dressed in blue or purple.
Most of the garments are of silk. Young men of
high rank often wear most charming robes of pink
or light blue.
The women of Korea are the drudges, while the
men are the lords of creation; in many cases the
women work hard and the men do nothing.
If one of these hard-working women were asked
what her husband was doing, the expression she
would use is that 'he is sitting upon his heels/
The women of the upper classes are rarely seen ;
they generally dress in white and have a peculiar
arrangement by which the short bodice covers the
shoulders, but leaves the breasts entirely exposed,
while voluminous petticoats, very full at the hips,
all but conceal the coarse white or brown trousers
below. They wear the same kind of boots as the
men, but their stockings are not padded. The
women of a certain rank wear a sort of mantle with
sleeves which are not used. This is suspended from
a hood which covers the head, and they close up the
front with their hand to shield themselves from the
gaze of passers-by. The favourite colour is green,
and these women form quite a picturesque addition
to a street crowd as they glide about amongst the
men, who, except officials, are clad entirely in white.
Their hair is black, and is wound in a bi^ coil round
the temples, and ornamented with large silver coins.
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KITB-PLTING 306
AMUSEMENTS
With regard to amusements, kite-flying and kite-
fighting are most in favour. The fighting consists
in trying to draw one kite across another when they
are high in the air, and thus to sever the string of
the rival The Koreans are also the most accom-
plished stone-throwers in the world ; the contests are
conducted with such savagery that loss of life fre-
quently results.
EXPEDITION TO THE KOBBAN CAPITAL
On arriving at Chemulpo I found that unless I
proceeded to Ohefoo by the steamer in which I
arrived, I should not be able to get another boat for
a fortnight. As I was determined, if possible, to
visit Seoul, and could not afford to be delayed so long,
I decided to make the expedition up to that city in
the twenty-four hours at my disposal. I had tele-
graphed to the Consul-General, Mr. Jordan, and he
very kindly had a chair and bearers waiting ready
for me on landing. The chair is fixed at the centre
of two long poles and is carried by four men at once
— I had eight men, so that they might take turn and
turn about. I might have gone up the river by boat,
but the boat had left an hour before my arrival, and
the railway in course of construction was not yet
available. I preferred, however, to be taken in
the old-fashioned manner. Unfortunately there had
been heavy rains, and as there are no macadamised
roads, but only tracks across the counky, the
*x
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306 CHINA AND THE PBESENT OBISIS
bearers were often ankle-deep in mud. The plains
which we had to cross, on which rice is grown,
were dso inundated, and I was often carried for a
hundred yards together, with the water up to the
men's waists. This they enjoyed thoronghly —
laughing and joking all the time. We had also to
be ferried across three rivers in the course of the
twenty-six miles traversed. The weather was per-
fect, and after the heavy rain the strong perfume
of flowering shrubs was exquisite; the birds were
singing gaily. Crowds of men, women, and children
were squatting about in every village through which
we passed, many of them smoking long pipes, and
numerous groups were playing games, this too at an
hour of the day when one would naturally expect
them to be at work.
GBKBBAL SCBNBBY
The land in the valleys has a rich alluvial soil
and is very fertile, but the bare hills with reddish-
coloured earth exposed here and there on their slopes
appeared useless from an agricultural standpoint.
The Koreans have been prodigal in denuding the
country of timber, but pine-trees which have re-
sown themselves are springing up everywhere.
The roadway through the villages was decidedly
deeper in mud than in the open country — no effort
being made to clear it away. Korean houses are
thatched with straw, and have walls composed
largely of mud. They look picturesque in the distance,
especially when nestling amid a cluster of big trees.
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SEOUL 307
They have no mills in Korea for grinding their
grain, but they place it in large stone or wooden
basins and work over a lever a long piece of wood
with an arm attached. With this they crush the
grain by pounding it. We met a good many pack-
bulls on the way, and occasionally a small Korean
pony. Bice and Indian com are the crops mainly
grown between Chemulpo and Seoul.
Some of my bearers had the most ragged white
garments that I ever saw. They really prefer to
wear as little clothing as possible. On their feet
they wore sandals woven of straw, replacing them
frequently with new ones, which they could pur-
chase at every hamlet we passed. Instead of stock-
ings they bound long pieces of linen round their
feet.
They are evidently not very fond of applying
soap and water to their children, as the condition of
the multitude of naked little children whom I saw
showed.
r When my bearers carried me through the water
they took off their scanty garments and tied them
round their necks, and then raised my chair shoulder
high. One man, holding his clothes above his head,
walked in advance, in order to discover, if possible,
whether there were any big holes in front of us.
SEOXTL
We approached Seoul in brilliant sunshine,
and I was able to get a very fair idea of the city
♦x2
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808 C3HINA AND THE PBBSBNT OEISIS
and the snirounding coantry. The mountams on
two sides are precipitous and rocky, with splendidly
broken outlines. The valley in which Seoul is
situated is well timbered, which adds much to the
beauty of its appearance.
As we passed through the portion of the city
outside the walls, the most prominent object was a
curious gateway, which, together with the ancient
loopholed walls to the right and left of it, looked
extremely picturesque.
I arrived at a quarter to six, the journey having
occupied eight and a quarter hours. Within five
minutes I began half an hour's interview with Dr.
Morrison, the times correspondent at Pekin. Mr*
Jordan and I then strolled through the main streets
of Seoul, which were thronged with possibly the
most picturesque and gaily dressed people in the
world, except the Burmese. The Koreans display
more taste in their attire than the Burmese, and
though the colouris of their garments are not so
brilliant, tfa^ general effect of the white robes of the
men and the green mantles of the women is very
pleasing. We went to two or three points from
which, in the bright evening sunlight, we had perfect
views over the city and surrounding country.
We discussed, as we walked along, various
matters on which I desired to have information.
I left for Chemulpo at a quarter to ten, having thus
remained only four hours in the most interesting
city of Seoul, but having none the less, thanks to
Mr. Jordan, seen the main sights.
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THE LEGATIONS 809
BLBOTBIO TBAMWAY
I was much surprised to find an electric tram-
way at work in Seoul ; it had been opened only a
few weeks. One day a child was killed, whereupon
a crowd of Koreans stormed the electric cars, drove
off the conductor and attendants, overturned the
cars, and burnt them on the spot. It was only
after the feeling thus aroused had died down that
the Company ventured to start running the cars
again.
To show how good the climate is, I may say
that Mr. Jordan told me he grew strawberries,
cherries, pears, plums, and other English fruit and
vegetables at Seoul just as well as at home.
FOBEIGN LEGATIONS
It is a significant fact that whilst the Bussians
and the French have no trade interests whatever in
Korea, yet the former have a most palatial Legation,
and also an emissary living in great style, with
Cossacks in connection with his household. He
is not known to have any definite position, but
occupies himself in fomenting difficulties.
The French have just completed the erection of
a splendid Legation at a cost of 8,0002., though
they have no interest in the country except their
Boman Catholic Missions. They have a French
cathedral in Seoul, and a bishop, and thiriy priests
working throughout the country with 30,000
converts.
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810 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT CBISIS
Japan has also an excellent Legation in Seoul,
but this is not surprising when we have regard to
the fact that 15,000 of its people are settled in that
country, and that the association of Japan with
Korea has existed through many centuries.
The Japanese have a system of telegraph lines
established in Korea, and 800 troops divided among
the various places where any considerable number
of their people are settled. It is only natural that
Japan should have the necessary force on the spot
to safeguard her interests.
The staple products of Korea are rice and beans,
and enormous quantities of these are sent to Japan
— ^indeed, she takes 90 per cent, of the exports of
Korea.
England has a comfortable but, comparatively
speaking, modest Legation. In Mr. Jordan we have
a man of marked ability, who looks vigilantly and
carefully after our interests, though he receives only
half the salary that is paid by other Governments
to their representatives.
THB BBTUBN JOUBNEY
For the return journey I engaged twelve bearers.
Japanese lanterns were carried before and behind,
and with the light given by the moon we were able
to get along very well so far as the first part of the
journey was concerned. Just after starting we
arrived at the city gates, which were already closed.
The gate-keepers refused to open them without a
vmtten order. Mr. Jordan, who had accompanied
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AN UNPLEASANT JOUBNBT 311
me thuB far, succeeded in overcoming the difficulty.
We then proceeded rapidly along a fairly well made
road to the river three miles away, which we crossed
by a ferry-boat. After traversing a long stretch of
sand, we reached a second river, which had also to
be passed in a ferry. Then the road became a broken
track, the moon disappeared, and we were left to be
guided only by Japanese lanterns, which a shower
of rain or a little wind would have extinguished,
leaving us hopelessly stranded. Fortunately, the
night was still and fine, and we reached the flooded
rice-fields without much delay. Then our difficulties
began. Two of the men witii the Japanese lanterns
waded in the water in advance of the bearers to try
and prevent our falling into deep holes. Amidst
a roar of laughter one of them disappeared from
view, extinguishing his lantern, but he came to the
top all right and swam into shallower water. It
was a case of slow and sure, and the few hundred
yards that we thus traversed occupied considerable
time. We came to the third river only to find that
there was no ferry-boat (known there as a ' sampan *)
on our side. We all called outtogetherat the top of our
voices to try to attract the attention of some one on the
other shore, but without success. Further progress
would have been impossible had it not been that
one of our bearers was an expert swimmer. He
dived into the stream without hesitation, and swam
across at a most astonishing pace, roused the sleepers
in the sampan, and very soon it was brought across
and relieved us from our difficulties. When we
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312 CHINA AND THE PBBSENT OBISIS
reached the halfway house the men all wanted
'chow* (food). This chow had to be prepared in
their own particular way, and it was only after more
than an hour's delay and by dint of the strongest pos-
sible pressure that I induced them to move on again.
This was urgently necessary, as my steamer was
timed to leave at nine o'clock that morning. We
arrived without further incident at Chemulpo at a
quarter to eight, and a comfortable English break-
fast at the Vice-Consul's was most welcome after
the long night's journey. After breakfast I went
on board, and was soon on my way to Chefoo, the
first port of call in China. I arrived there as
described on page 1.
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813
INDEX
Adams, Mr., 123
Ah Sam, 141
Algen, Mr., 109
Amerioan Trade Competition, 84
American Watches and 01ocks,180
Amusements in Korea, 805
Anhai,107
Animals in Korea, 802
Aoki, Visoonnt, 85, 275, 280
Apricots, 155
Armstrong, Mitchell A Go.,
Messrs., 28
Arsenal at Han Tang, 128
Arsenal at Nankin, 113
Arsenal at Tokyo, 266
Arsenal at Wnchang, 121
Arsenal at Yokohama, 260
Arsenic Powder, 28
Attitude of the Chinese, 143
Anbert, Capt., 166
Bailet, Post-Captain, 70, 78
Bailey, 155
Bamsley Bobbins, 97
Banow Hematite Steel Com-
pany, The, 80
Battle of the Bottles, 284
Bato Cayeo, 198
Bean-cake, 4
Bean-oil, 4
Beans, 155, 810
Beresford, Lord Charles, 9, 91, 98
Birds of Japan, 260
Birds, Qame, and Insects, 100
Bishops, Dinner of the, 218
Bismarokbeig, 92
Blake, Sir Henry, 168, 179
Blnejaokets to the Front, British,
117
Boat Life on West Biver, 174
* Bore,* The, 102
Bosanqnet, Admiral, 218
Bostelman, Mr. A., 80
Bostook, Mr., 211
Botanical Gardens, HadgaUa,
207
Bourne, Mr., 88, 96
Bower, Col., 68
Bowra, Mr., 7
Bridges, Chinese, 98,
Brinkley, Capt., 278
British Interests m China, 224
British Bole Advantage of, 190
British Trade in China, 50
Buddhism, 272, 801
Bund, The, 116
Bush, Messrs., 18
Butt, Mr., 188
Butterfield & Swire, 8, 5, 88
CaiiOittta, 215
Canton, 120, 176
Canton, Trade of, 178
Canton Waterways, 179
Canton-Hankow Line, 170
Cape Evelyn, 90
Cartridge i^tory at Han Yang^
124
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314 CHINA AND THE PBESENT GBISIS
OMtor-oil, 165
Oathednl at Seoul, French, 809
Cause of the Present Anti-f orei^
Bisingin China, 350
Centurion Hill, 71
Ceylon, 199
Chang Chih Tnng, 118, 252 ; Be-
eeption by, 118
Chang-Yi, 15, 88
Chefoo, 1, 17, 26, 62, 72, 805,
812
Chefoo, Trade of, 86
Chemolpo, 1, 805, 812
Chen-ya-Ting, Mr., 19
Chin Chinning Joss, 142
Chinkiang, 92, 107
Chin Tan, 90
Chin Wang Tao, 61
China Association, The Hong
Kong, 250
China, British Commercial and
Political Interests in: State-
ment made in the House of
Commons, 224
China for the Chinese, 254
China, India and, 221
China Inland Mission, 85
China Merchant Company, 75
China Trading Company, 5
Chinese Arming, 252
Chinese, Attitude of the, 148 ;
Stoned by the, 144
Chinese disappointed with Eng-
land, 251
Chinese Bastem Bailway Com-
pany, 80
Chinese Troops, 68
Ching, Prince, 20, 41
Chino-Japanese War, An Inci-
dent of, 65
Cholon, 188
Choo, His MaJesW, 112
Christmas in Ceylon, 208
Chan, Prefect, 182
Chnng-hon-So, 58
Ghnng King, 96, 157
Climate of Saigon, 186
Cloisonne, 265
Coal, 195
Coal, Chinese, 147
Coal, Japanese, 266, 287
Coal Bfinee at Takashima, 287
Coal Mining in China, 55
Coal, New Duty on T^nglSah, ii^
Japan, 289
Cocoa, 195
Cocoa-nnts, 206
Coffee, 191, 195
Colombo, 198
Commercial Interests in Japan,
British, 289
Commnnication, Bailway, 71
Competition, American and.
Japanese Trade, 84
Confucianism, 800
Cooks, Chinese, 188
Copal, 195
Cormorant Fishing, 100
Cotton Goods, 195
Country Club at Shanghai, 97
Cowper, Lieut, 70
Cradock, Mr., 116
Crisis, the Present, in China, 249^
Crow, Mr., 288
Currency of Korea, 299
Curson, Lord, 215
Custom House Experience, 261
Customs BeTcnue, Chinese Im-
perial, 18
Cutlery, 195
Danobboub Coasts, Korea, 292
Davidson, Mr., 158
Debt of (%lon, 212
Dewstoe, Mr., 177
Dinner, A Japanese, 281
Dishonesty among Japaneeer
Traders, Commercial, 265
Donelly, Mr., 89
Douglas, Mr., 218
Dress, Korean, 802
Drills, 86
Dru|;8,180
Dudk Bearing, 156, 179
Dying uncared for. Chinaman,
126
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INDEX
31&
Bduoaxxoh in Japan, 268
Bdnoation in Korea, 801
Bmperor and Qoyemment of
Korea, 296
Bmperor of Ohina, Deposition of
the, 89
English Legation in Korea, 810
Ennaohs of Pekin, The, 40
European Diplomatists in Japan,
282
Expedition, The Upper Yangtsse,
186
Expedition, The Tangtsze, 108
FAMDn, The, and Plsgae in India,
219
Farewell to China, 182
Feng-Tn-Cheng, 156
Fetishism, 801
Fish of Japan, 260
fisheries of Korea, 298
Floor, 195
Flowers and Frnit of Japan, 268
Foreigners and Viceroys, 252
Foreigners in Japan, 278
Forts at Woosnng, 95
Frands, Mr., 179
Free Trade in India and China,
221
French Activity and British In-
activity, 185
French Legation in Korea, 809
Fn, Brig.-Gen., 182
Funerals, Japanese, 271
Fnsan, 291
Gasblsx, Gen., 218
Gaont, Capt., 66, 70, 78
Giers, M. de, 21
« God Worshippers,' 112
Gold, 180, 156, 294
Goldfields, Korean, 294
Gold Mountain, 76
Golden Island, 107
Golden Pearl Mountain, 112
Gordon, Chinese, 112
Government of China, 88
Grand Canal, The, 98, 107
Graves, A Sea of, 181
Graveyards, Korean, 808
Great Wall of China, 58
Ghun, 195
Gunpowder Factory at Nankin,.
118
Gutta-percha, 195
Habits, Japanese, 269
Habits, Korean, 802
Hai-ning, 101
Han Biver, The, 116
Han Tang, 116
Han Yang Arsenal, 128
Han Yaug Ironworks, 122
Hanff Chow, 98, 101
Hankow, 106, 118, 116, 129
Hankow, Interview with the»
Taotai of, 127
Hankow, Trade of, 128
Happy Valley, Hong Kong, 170-
Harbour Works, Colombo, 211
Hart, Sir Robert, 61
Hemp, 130, 155
Hides, 195
Hillier, Mr., 48
Hiraoka, Mr. Kotaro, 281
Hoffman, Lieut., 124
Holt Brothers, Messrs., 29-
Homeward bound, 222
Honan, 107
Hong Kong, 22, 166, 179
Hosie, Mr., H.M. Consul, 6>
Houseboats, Chinese, 101
Hu-ya-Tsia, 181
Hu-Yuen-Meh, 88
Hunan, 118
Hupeh, 118
Hurst, Mr^ 118, 122
loBANO, 105, 116, 129, 182
Iching, 108
India, Home through, 218>
India and China, 221
Indiarubber, 195
Indigo, 56, 155
Indo-CSiina, French, 18^
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816 CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT C3BISIS
Inglif, Mr., 96
IiUAnd Seft of Japan,
Interior, Beoord Jo
the, 159
Ironworki at Han Tang, 133
Ito, Marqms, 375
,388
Journey
into
Jacksoh, Sir Thomas, 179
Jaasohke, Capt., 91
Ji^^an, Attitude towards Korea,
397
Japan and England, Similarity
of Position of, 363
Japan and Korea, 357
Japanese Legation at Seoul,
Korea, 810
Jardlne, Matheson A Co., Messrs.,
5, 89, 96, 108
Jeans, 86
John, Bev. Griffith, 138
Johore, 194
Jones, Bey. F., 800
Jordan, Mr., 396
Jung-Lu, 30, 131
Kah(}.Tx,30
Kang-yu-Wei, 180
Kao-Kia-Tcheng, 163
Kashing, 101
Kau-Lung Extension, 170
Seswiok, The Hon. J. J., 168
Ketteler, Baron Yon, 60
Kia-lingBlTer, 157
Kiangsi, 107, 115
Kiang-suh, 107
Xiang^n, 107
£iao-Ohan Bay, 91
Kiao-Ohau, Trade of, 98
Kiao-Chau, Visit to, 89
Kin-ho-kan, 139
Kinder, Mr., 16
Kin>Ohow, 181
Kin Kiang, 115
Kiushin, 385
Korea, 357, 379, 391
JBIroupensky, M., 85
£uala-Kubn, 190
Kuala-Lumpor, 191
Kuin Mountains, 180
Kutwo, 106
Kwei-Chow, 147
Kwd-Ohow-Fu, 153
Lioooir, West Port, 78
Legations in Korea, Foreign, 809
Lepers, 174
Li-Hung-Ohang, 88, 48
Liliencron, Baron, 91, 94
Limestone, 146
Little, Mr. Archibald, 81, 96, 104
Litton, Mr., 161
Liu Kun-Yi, 109, 353
Llu-Kung-tau, 66
Lookhart, Mr., 179
London Mission, 88
London Missionary Sodety, 138
Loshar, 90
Loyalty of Natives in India, 331
Lukan Gorge, 146
MoSwiNMT, Capt, 7
Malay Peninsula, 188
Manchester Piece Goods, 106, 180
Manchuria, 5, 6
Manchuria, Ad?antage8 of, 34;
Missions in, 38
Manchurian Bailway, Bussian
Main, 7, 79
Massampo, 80
Melons, 155
Military College at Wuchang, 134
Millet, 155
Mineral Wealth, 308
Mines at Nagasaki, 387
Biing Tombs, 113
Mining Bights, 130
Mint at Nankin, 118
Missionary Work, 138
Blissions, 38, 85, 118, 391, 809
Mitsang, The, 147,
Ifitsubishi Company, The, 387
Molyneux, Dr., 36, 89
Money-lending in Korea, 399
Monkeys, 146
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INDEX
317
MocnSi Mr., 96
Iforriflon, Dr., 8, 809
MotlMrHif.peari, 196
Ifomttaln Basc^ in J^mii, S67
Mounung lor AnoeskMn, 71
Mukden, 80
Mnaeom ft* Oobmbo, 908
Naoabazi,286
Nankin, 104, 108, 119
Nankin Pagoda, 119
Nanning-Fn, 178
Nationalisation of Land and
Minerals, 192
Natoralisation of Chinese, 99
Naval Anthorities, A Qaestion
f(Nrthe,67
NewBapid,169
Neivehwang, 8, 4, 5, 6, 88
Newebwang Bar, 4
Newohwang Extension Line, 5, 6
Newebwang Trade, 16
Newqpapers in Japan, 968
Niehol8Qn,Mr., 157
Nin Ean.t'an Whirlpool, 169
Nni-ohia-ton, 7
Nutmegs, 195
Offioialb, Chinese, 154
O'Gorman, CoL The, 179
Okmna, Count, 275, 978
Open Door in China, 258
Opimn, 180, 155
Oranges, 155
Paikoml at Nankin, 119
Pagoda at To-Chan-Fa, 180
Paper, 195
Pasteur Institote at Saigon, 186
Patnng, 186
Pawnshops, 175
Peaches, 155
Pearl Fisheries, 909
Peas, 155
PeehiU,Chilfof,75
P^-ho,97
Pei-Tai-Ho, 59
Pekin, 14, 81
Pddn, CSt7 Walls, 87
PeUn, Ennoohs at the Palaoe, 40
Pddn, Forbidden City, 87
Pekin -Hankow Bailwaj Con-
068sion,119
Poiang, 198
P^per, 180, 195
Peradenija and its Qardens, 901
Persimmons, 155
Pethiok, Mr., 88
Petition to H.M. QoTeriunent, 96
Petroleom, 195
Pier, the Wei-hai-Wei, 67
Pingshan BUnes, 199
*Pinnade,'The,84
Plagne in India, The Famine and,
919
Plant, Cu^t., 186
Politieal Japan, 974
Pomegranates, 155
Pomolas, 155
Poroelain, 965
Porpoises, 189
Port Arthur, 9, 4, 6, 67
Port Arthur, Bast Port, 79
Port Arthur, Seisure l^ Bussia,
75
Port Arthur, Visit to, 75
Port Arthur, West Port Lago<Hi,
78
Port Hamilton, 998
Potatoes, 56
Pojang Lake, 115
Proteotiye System, French Indo-
CUnaandthe, 184
Protestants, 199
Bazlwax Communioation, 71
Bailwaj Material, 195
Baflways of Ceylon, 909
Bailways in India, 915
Bailways in Ji^pan, 961
Baih?ays in Kma, 994
Beligion, China, 45
Beligion in Japan, 979
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Google
me CHINA AND THE PBBSBNT CBISIS
Beligion of Korea, 800
Beyentie of Oeylon, 312
BeYdnne of Korea, 299
Bioe, 195, 810
Biyer Life, Ohinese, 101
Boman Catholic Ghoroh at
Wahn, 118
.Homan CatholioB, 129, 809
Bussia, Attitude towiurds Korea,
297
Bosslan Hospitality, 8
Bnssian Legation at Korea, 809
.BuBsian Litrigaes, 68
€aoo, 195
Saigon and Cholon, 188
St. Andrew's Day Ball, 180
Si, Olair, Mr., 188
Salisbury, Lord, 17
Salt, 180
Sam Ohnn, 169
Satow, Sir Ernest, 275
Soeneiy of Korea, 806
Scenery on the Tangtsse, 145
Sohrameier, Dr., 92
Sea Wall, Great, 102
Seang.yin Biyer, 180
Secret Societies, 47
Secretary, My Ohinese, 68
Selangor, Visit to, 189
Seoul, 807
Servants, Chinese, 140
Seymour, Admiral Sir B., 168
Sha-sse, 180
Shan, Mr. Him, 188
Shan-hai-kwan, 15, 54
Shanghai, 9, 95, 101
Shantung, 71, 107
Sheetings, 86
Shi-tao Bay, 69
Shimonoseid, Straits of, 284
Shinto, 272
Shipbuilding, Qerman, 199
Shipping, Decadence of British,
Shooting Banges, 70
Siam, 195
Silk, 180
Snk FOatore Works, 108
Simon, Dr., 186
Sin T'An, 162
Singapore, 22, 187
Soubotitoh, General, 77, 81
Sphere, The English, 69
Spices, 180
Sport in the Tangtsse Valley, 114
Sprent, Bey. Mr., 12
Statement made in the House of
Commons, 224
Suffar, 180, 155, 195
Sulphuj; Springs, 68
Sultan, Lieut Peresyett, 78, 81
Sumatra, 199
Sundyus, Mr., H.M. Consul, 8
Swettenham, Sir A., 195
Sseohuan, 180, 154
Tl-UlM-WAlf, 6
Ta-shih-chao, 11
Takashima Coalmines, 287
Taiping Bebellion, 112
TakuBar27
Taku Forts 29
Tamoshan, 90
Tapioca, 195
Tartar City Wall, 85
Taxation of Land in Japan, 264
Taylor, Bey. Hudson, 86
Tea, 155
Tea Factory, 125,205
Tea Plantation, At a, 204
Tees Side Ironworks Company,
122
Telegraph Lines in Korea, Ja-
panese, 810
Temple of 500 Genii, 177
Temple of the Emperor, 177
Tien-tsse Shan 166
Tientsin, 27, 50,92
Tientsin, Trade of, 51
Tiger Teeth Gorge, 181
Tm, 189, 195
Tin Plates, 87
Ting, Admiral, 2
Titoff, Mr., 6
Tobacco, 56, 180, 155, 195
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Google
INDEX
319
Tokyo, Anentl, 266
Tong, Mr., 19
Tong-Eti, 99
TrA^erB,186
Trade, Chinese Foreign, 858
Trade of Canton, 178
Trade of Chefoo, 86
Trade in China, British, 50
Trade of Eiao-Chan, 98
Trade of Kin Eiang, 115
Trade of Korea, 298
Trade Competition, Japanese, 84
!rrade Possibilities of, 72
Trade Debt, Taxation, and
Bevenne of Ceylon, 212
Tramway, Eleotrio, in Korea,
809
Treaty of Tientsin, 120
T8inan,92
Tsushima, 290
Tnng-Ting Lake, 129
YxGBTABiA Prodncts of Japan,
259
Vladivostock, 7
Tolcanoes in Japan, 258
Walkxb, Col., 189
Walnnts, 155
Water Supply, 82, 148
Waterspoat off Wei-hai-Wei, 64
Waterways of China, The Inland,
97
Wax, 180
Weather, 145
Wei-hai-Wei, 1, 64, 66, 88
Wei-hai-Wei Bay, 2
Wd-hai-Wei Harbour, 69
Weihai-Wei, Transfto to Qer-
manr, 78
West Biyer, 171
Western Moantains» 181
•Wha-li-Tun,'184
Whangpoo Biver, 95, 98
Wheat, 155, 195
Whirlpool, 162
Wiloox, Mr., 179
Wildman, Mr., 179
Williamson, Mr., 122
Willis, Mr. and Mrs., 200
Wilton, Mr., 181
Women, Japanese, 271
Women, Korean, 804
Wonff Chi Tong Mines, 122
Woodbom, Interriew with, 218
Woosong, 102
Woosnng Forts, 95
Workmen, Japanese, 288
Wreoks and Wreckage on the
Yangtsze,144
Wright, Mr., 15
Wuchang, 118
Wuchang Military College, 124
Wuchau, 172
Wuhu, 118
Wushan Gorge, 148
Tanotszs, 22
Yangtsze Expedition, 108
Tangtsse, Expedition on
Upper, 186
Teh-Tan Bapid, 140, 168
To-Chau-Fu, Pagoda, 180
Yokohama Arsenal, 260
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